Don't Trust Dumbledore
by NobodyZHuman
Summary: It started with a letter, well a note really. From his godfather over summer break. Three words long: Don't Trust Dumbledore. Then his normal trip to the Weasley's was cancelled. He head his 2 best friends talking about him, in not so friendly tones. Now: he is some how trapped in the past, with Draco Malfoy.
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N: This story is also posted on Ao3 and Tumblr. I also post updates and teasers for this story (and others) on Tumblr. Please check it out, it's under Nobodyzhuman. This story is currently over 83K and still going :). Thanks for reading, hope you enjoy.**_

**Prologue: Three Simple Words**

Harry Potter sat in the smallest bedroom of the house he had lived in with his Aunt, Uncle, and cousin for the last 15 years. He sat staring out his small bedroom window, trying to remind himself that he only had a few more days here. A few more days and he would be free of the depressing, suffocating aura that hung around the house, and of course the neglectful way his _family_ treated him. A few more days until Professor Dumbledore would be here to pick him up. Then he would be surrounded by people that actually cared about him and wanted him around. At least until next summer.

And while this summer had been uneventful, there was this nagging feeling in the pit of his stomach that something was coming. Something bad. Of course, with Voldemort out there, the feeling didn't come as much of a surprise him. It was the sense that whatever it was that was coming had little or nothing to do with Voldemort that worried him. His nightmares seemed to center more on the unknown and less on the madman, leaving him with a foreboding feeling.

When he woke in the morning and tried to think about the details from his dreams, everything seemed fuzzy and hard to remember.

He sighed, closing his eyes.

"Three more days," he mumbled. He knew it was only a handful of days, but it felt longer. Maybe it was the loneliness that made it feel like the days just dragged on and on. He told himself to focus on the positive; Hogwarts, his friends, Remus, and the Weasleys. It took some effort, but he slowly started to feel better and a little excited about the end of summer.

A quiet tapping at his window jerked him out of his thoughts. Expecting Hedwig, he reached out to open the window, not really looking at the owl on the other side. Which left him surprised when a small brown owl flew in and landed on Hedwig's empty perch.

He reached down and picked up a small treat and while he fed it to the bird, he used his other hand to remove the small parchment attached to the bird's leg.

He was a little disappointed when he didn't recognize the owl. It meant that the letter wasn't from Ron or Hermione like he was hoping. His two best friends had been almost silent over the summer, leaving him feeling left out and forgotten. He tried to reason that it was because they were unable to write due to secrets like the year before but that didn't stop it from hurting.

'_Maybe it was from Remus or Sirius,' _he thought_. _Neither of them had an owl of their own to use.

Hope and excitement surged through him as he opened it.

His happy moment was ruined when he saw the length of the message. It was a single small piece of parchment folding in half once.

And any hope he had fled when he unfolded it and read the message.

_**Don't Trust Dumbledore!**_

_**Snuffles**_

"What?" he mumbled and read it again and then a third time just to make sure. Why would Sirius tell him not to trust the headmaster? Dumbledore was their leader, their friend. Harry had been told for years to trust and have faith in Dumbledore. And now all of a sudden Sirius was telling him otherwise- it just made no sense. He felt a rush of anger towards his godfather for not giving more information. Just a little something that gave a reason or an explanation for the man's sudden lack of trust in Dumbledore. Anything that would clarify things. He knew Sirius had to be careful in case his message was intercepted, but was three words really all he could manage? Then he was confused because what could the headmaster possible have done to cause Sirius to doubt him.

He stared at the paper, trying to understand. It wasn't until the morning light started to peek through his window that he realized he had been staring at the small note all night.

Three long days later, Dumbledore sent him an owl saying that he would have to stay with his relatives for the rest of summer, due to something happening with the Order. With any hopes for his summer ruined, Harry fell into a dark and miserable mood. Left with nothing else to think about Harry kept thinking over Sirius's warning, and the ramifications if his godfather was right and they couldn't trust Dumbledore.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two: Dark Hallways**

_Harry's POV_

He should have stayed in the common room but listening to Hermione going on and on about their latest Charms homework had pushed him too far. He was finding it harder and harder to be around her, and Ron, without losing his temper.

They were supposed to be his best friends, but lately, he was noticing things about them that had him doubting that. Things like how Ron always seemed mad at him for one thing or another, but when they went out in public, Ron was always at his side acting like nothing was wrong.

Ron's anger wasn't new. Harry had always assumed that Ron's anger had to do with his jealously over the things Harry had that he didn't. The fame from being the Boy Who Lived and money he inherited from his parents, but lately, it seemed Ron was angry at him for just being Harry.

There was also how Hermione was always at his side when he was studying or during class but more and more she spent less time with him and more with her other friends. He hadn't thought much of it at first, figuring she was a girl and that she wanted to just hang out with other girls. After all what girl wanted to spend all their time with two boys. He didn't mind them spending time together without him, but with how often it happened he was starting to feel left out. He found himself wondering if maybe they were secretly dating and were unsure how to tell him. But when he confronted them, they got angry and yelled at him that he didn't know what he was talking about. The redhead had then stormed out, and Hermione just gave him an 'I can't believe you' look.

The outburst left him even more confused. He wouldn't understand the change in their attitudes, until about two weeks later. He'd been sitting in what he had mentally dubbed his hideaway, which was actually an alcove he discovered the year before when he heard them whispering to each other. They obviously didn't know he was there because as they walked by he could hear their hushed conversation about how unhappy they were and that they didn't like him being around all the time. Ron had made a comment about how they shouldn't have to deal with all his _drama._ He had been dumbfounded.

He just sat there mouth open, staring at them. The two didn't stay close enough for him to hear the rest and he was a little grateful because he didn't think he wanted to hear more. The way they talked about him reminded him of how they spoke about Malfoy. Not how friends talked about each other. If he hadn't heard it himself he would never have believed it. Even now, he could hardly believe it, they were supposed to be his friends.

Once they were far enough away, he got up and rushed back to the dorms. He was able to avoid them for a few days after that, but eventually, they sought him out. He'd be happy at first, thinking that maybe it had just been a misunderstanding. That maybe he has just caught them on a bad day and Ron had been venting but this nagging feeling in the back of his mind told him to keep his eye out, to watch them closely and see if he had been right. And slowly he realized his best friends hated him.

Crushed, he tried his best to give them space, but as the days dragged on he felt himself growing angrier. How had he missed the subtle things they did around him that showed their true feelings? Or how when he was around they acted the same as they always had but the second he was out of their sight, they became cruel and mean.

All this led to where he was now, wandering around the corridors past curfew in a desperate attempt to clear his mind. Besides, if he had stayed in the common room any longer he would have snapped at Hermione.

Hearing footsteps echoing along the hallways he rushed to find a place to hide. Sliding into one of the long dark shadows behind one of the castles many statues, he inched back hoping to stay unseen by the caretaker. He was surprised to hit something soft, a yelp escaping his throat as he tried to move away but whoever was behind him must have anticipated this, as a hand quickly moved to cover his mouth. An arm encircled his waist, halting any attempt at an escape.

No longer worrying about being caught, he tried to pull away and reach for his wand. The arm around his waist moved, slipping over his arm and pinning it at his side, leaving him trapped against their chest and unable to get to his wand.

"Shut up Potter!" a voice hissed in his ear as he struggled to break free from what seemed to be an iron-clad hold. He froze as he recognized the flat, cold tone.

'_Just my luck,' _he thought.

Of fucking course. He really should have expected something like this, considering how things have been going for him. His friends turned out to be liars who hated him, Sirius hadn't returned any of his letters, and he apparently couldn't even trust his headmaster. Why wouldn't he end up trapped, and hiding from Filch with Draco Malfoy? The only decent surprise was that so far the Slytherin hadn't tossed him out to get caught.

They stayed like that, pressed close together, Malfoy's steadying breathing in his ear as they listened to Filch walking around talking to his damn cat.

_Draco's POV_

"Where are your two sidekicks?" Draco heard himself whisper before he could stop himself. He had noticed that Potter and his friends didn't seem to be getting along. He had spotted Potter alone more often than not, none of his usual tagalongs hanging about. Plus, whenever he saw the trio together, there seemed to be tension amongst them. He had wondered why, but given their rivalry, he didn't think he would ever get a chance to ask.

It seemed now was the perfect opportunity.

Potter once again began to struggle against him, but Draco's hold didn't budge. His strength had increased over the summer due to his inheritance kicking in.

Most pure-blooded families had a little something extra mixed in. Meaning when they hit a certain age they come into a family inheritance. While it is well known amongst pure-blood and older wizarding families, it's less known by muggle borns or newer families. Over the centuries it had become something of an open secret. His own father had given him a large leather-bound book and told him to read it, but speak of it to no one outside of family or his godfather. What they were capable of was to remain a complete secret, as was the norm for many other families.

He gave a light chuckle as Potter continued to squirm in his arms.

"Are you fighting with Weasel and the Mudblood?" he whispered, leaning down so he was closer to the stubborn Gryffindor's ear. He had been expecting the other to yell at him, demand he never say that word again. Something, _anything _to defend his precious friends, but the smaller teen remained silent.

He huffed in annoyance, trying again. "I've noticed, you seem to prefer their company less nowadays," he said, hoping to gain some kind of reaction from the now still boy in his arms. Something that showed him the old Potter, the one he had been fighting and bickering with for years. Not the quiet withdrawn person he had seen around lately.

He had just opened his mouth to try again when Filch's voice carried down the hallway.

"Do you hear anything, Mrs. Norris?"

He stiffened as footsteps grew closer, feeling Potter do the same.

"Kids, out past curfew," the man muttered with malicious glee, "detentions for them - should be expelled if you ask me" Draco couldn't stop himself from rolling his eyes at this, the old caretaker was just pathetic.

"We'll find them," the man said as he walked past the spot they were hiding in. He felt the smaller body pressed against him tense even further, hearing him suck in a breath. Draco tightened his hold, silently telling him to stay quiet.

Luckily, it didn't take long for the squib to walk right past them, all while muttering to his cat about things he wanted to do to the students once he found them.

Neither dared to move until long after Filch's footsteps disappeared. Draco felt himself relax only to have the air knocked out of him when Potter slammed an elbow into his stomach.

"Fuck," he swore breathlessly, releasing the other boy. Potter quickly moved out of arm's reach before turning and glaring at him. Draco straightened, narrowing his eyes right back- refusing to look weak in front of Potter of all people.

"Rude," he hissed at the other boy, rubbing at the spot on his stomach where he was sure a bruise was forming. "I should have let you get caught."

Potter laughed at him mockingly, "You would have been caught, just the same," he snapped. There was an almost defeated hint to his voice like Potter just didn't care anymore. Before Draco could question it, Potter turned his back to him and walk away.

He called after him, pissed at being ignored.

_Harry's POV _

"Potter!" Harry heard Malfoy called after him.

'_What the hell does Malfoy care about my problems?'_ he thought, feeling a sense of loss. It should be his friends demanding answers out of him, not his rival. Despite the fact their friendship was faked, he still expected them to notice him pulling away, or at least his growing resentment towards them.

Lost in his head, he didn't hear the other boy's fast approaching footsteps until his arm was suddenly grabbed and he was pulled to a stop.

"Don't walk away from me," Malfoy demanded, glaring at him.

"Let go of me," he growled, trying in vain to pull his arm free. '_When the hell did Malfoy get so strong.'_

"Not until you answer my question," the Slytherin said tightening his hold. "What the hell is wrong with the Golden Trio?"

He stopped struggling as he tried to look anywhere but the blonde. He could always deny it, tell Malfoy that whatever he thought he noticed was wrong. Even if the other said something about it to someone, no one would ever believe the mischievous Draco Malfoy over him. After all, the Golden Trio was famous for their close friendship. It would just be rumor gossip, he had survived worse.

Logically he knew that if the Slytherin had noticed, others soon would too, and maybe there was a part of him that wanted someone to notice, that wanted someone else to see their friendship crumbling so he wouldn't have to face it alone. Hell, it would make it easier when the time came to end their friendship.

Thinking about it this way made lying look pointless, not that he would admit any of this to Malfoy.

"None of your business, Malfoy," he snarled, unable to control his anger. He didn't want to think about this anymore. He didn't want to think about Ron or Hermione. All he had been able to do as of late was think about them, or the headmaster, or Sirius. He was tired of thinking, and tired of Draco bloody Malfoy demanding answers to things Harry himself didn't even understand. It made everything feel that much worse.

Again, he tried to wrench his arm away, growling when it didn't come free. The other boy's grip didn't even falter, in fact, it only seemed to grow tighter. Annoyed, he pulled his whole body backwards until Malfoy was left with no other option but to let go or be dragged along.

"So, there is something." the blonde said smugly, following his steps instead of releasing him. Harry wanted to slam his head against something in annoyance. _Why wouldn't Malfoy just leave him alone?_

"What does it matter to you?" he asked, even though all he wanted was to scream at the other teen. He wanted to tell him to fuck off, that it didn't concern him, but he knew that would only bring Filch back their way.

"Curiosity," Malfoy muttered, looking almost sheepish.

"Curiosity killed the cat," he mumbled to the annoying blonde. He had learned the phrase at a young age. First from his uncle who detested questions, then later from Dudley who followed in his father's footsteps. It filled him with a sick sort of satisfaction to use it against someone else, to taunt another such as Malfoy with the phrase that had been used against him for so long.

"What?" the other asked, raising an elegant brow.

Rolling his eyes, Harry tried again to free his arm. Actually surprised when this time it came free, the sudden freedom causing him to stumble backwards until his back pressed into the wall behind him. He glared at the Slytherin.

"It's a muggle saying," he answered, he had to suppress yet another eye-roll when Malfoy's face twisted into disgust.

"Muggle's are-" Harry heard Malfoy's voice catch as the Slytherin suddenly stopped talking. The blonde's face remarkably becoming paler. His eyes widening as he took a careful step backwards, "Potter…"

Harry's heart skipped a beat at the sudden fear on the other man's face, wondering for a second what could possibly make Malfoy afraid of him. Then a strange and sudden warmth spread across the back of his shoulders, making him realize it wasn't him the blonde was afraid of.

He took a chance and looked over his shoulder and couldn't fathom what he was seeing. The heat seemed to radiate from a floating array of light. Various shades of blues and white swirled and tangled around each other. Whatever it was it appeared to be growing bigger and headed towards them. He tried to step away, but it was like his feet were suddenly stuck in deep sand. Each step took tremendous effort, and his feet barely came off the ground. He turned frantically towards Malfoy, only to see he was having the same problem.

He opened his mouth to scream for help, when without warning his feet were wrenched away from the ground. He was distantly aware of Malfoy screaming, as he was hurled backwards towards the encompassing heat. He reached out in panic desperately trying to catch something, anything to grab a hold of. Anything to stop his descent into the terrifying anomaly. He felt his finger brush against the cool stone of one of the castle walls, but he was quickly ripped away.

The anomaly burned and scorched his skin as he tumbled through it. He tried looking around, hoping to locate Malfoy but felt disoriented amongst the bright blue and white lights. The odd combination of overwhelming brightness and the feeling of falling caused his head to pound. Even in his confused state, he noticed a large mass racing towards him, dark spots spread across his vision and pain surged through his head. The last thing he heard before the darkness took him was Malfoy screaming.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three: 1977**

_Draco's POV_

Draco's head was throbbing, his mouth dry and tingly as if it has been stuffed full of cotton. He wondered if Pansy had gotten him drunk the night before, the signs were there, headache, dry mouth, fuzzy memories. He sighed, _Fucking Pansy, I have to stop listening to her 'brilliant' ideas. _His pesky friend has a knack for getting him to do stupid things. Groaning, he felt around for his blanket. There was absolutely no way he was getting up right now. He froze when his hand brushed against something far too cold, wet, and scratchy to be a blanket. Opening his eyes surprised to see he was laying on grass.

His pulse increased as he looked down at the grass, no way he could have gotten drunk and wondered out here. His housemates wouldn't have let it happen. They had a rule or more so an understanding, to keep an eye on each other. If he had gotten drunk with Pansy he would have found himself on the common room floor. Not outside. Feeling confused and worried, he looked around, hoping he at least recognized the area. He had barely begun scanning the area when he noticed a body laying a couple of feet away from him. He stood up and winced as pain rushed along his spine, taking a couple of small steps to test just how much pain he was in. When he deemed it minimal he took longer steps and approached the other body. Whoever it was, was laying on their side, so he reached down and took the other person's shoulder in his hand and turned them over. He stumbled back when Potter's face turn towards him.

"Potter?" The whisper came out as more of a curse as he stared down at the other teen. He was about to reach down to shake him, to demand Potter explain what had happened. When he started to remember.

"Fuck," he cursed.

_What the hell happened? _How did they get from inside the castle to wherever they were? He turned around trying to see how far away the school was, but it wasn't there. Instead of the familiar silhouette of the Hogwarts castle, he could only see grassy slopes of what looked like some kind of hill. Looking down, he realized that there was a small town at the bottom. One he did not recognize.

"Dammit," he muttered as an uneasy feeling settled in his stomach. _Something was seriously wrong. _He reached down and shook the other boy, it was harder than necessary, and he told himself it was because of his dislike for the Gryffindor and not because he was frightened.

The dark haired boy groaned and tried to pull away.

"Dammit, Potter! Wake up," he shouted. He wasn't sure if it was the tone of his voice or the fact that it was him, but Potter startled awake, yelped, and jumped to his feet. The sudden movement caused the Gryffindor to sway. Not that Draco reached out to try and steady him. _Serves him right for overreacting, _he thought.

"What happened?" Potter asked after he stopped swaying.

"I don't know," he muttered in response. He looked away from the very confused brunette and towards the small town he could see at the bottom of the hill, "but I think I know where we can find out."

He pointed towards the town. Potter moved to stand next to him, his gaze following Draco's finger. Then the other boy looked back at him, his eyes narrowed as if he was considering something. Then with a sigh, Potter looked back towards the town.

Draco wondered, briefly, if Potter thought he had done this. He would be thinking the same thing if it wasn't for the fact that he knew the Gryffindor well enough to know he would never willingly, put someone in danger. Well, that, and there was no way Potter would put himself at risk. Not while the Dark Lord was after him. Not even for Draco.

"Come on," Potter said as he started walking slowly down the hill.

Draco stayed where he was, watching how Potter winced and cringed as he walked. It seemed the other boy was in a lot of pain, more so than him. He chalked that up to his inheritance, and the certain physical benefits it gave him.

Shame the other boy hadn't gotten one. With how slow Potter was moving, Draco was tempted to pick him up and carry him down the damn hill.

Instead, he just started moving, walking closely behind the other in case he fell. Heaven knows how much slower they would be moving if Potter fell and hurt himself worse.

_Harry's POV_

Harry was covered in sweat, and hungry by the time they reached the bottom of the hill. Whatever magic crap had transported them, had left him in a lot of pain. He hated travelling by magic unless it was his broom.

Of course, Malfoy was walking next to him and looked unfazed by their journey. He wondered if the blonde had some kind of glamour that hid how he really looked. Harry was tempted to take out his wand and check, but he was too tired.

He really needed to learn how to apparate,' he thought, then turned to glare at Malfoy.

"Aren't you 16?" he asked.

"Yes?" Malfoy said, looking at him like something was wrong with him.

"Why the hell didn't you just apparate us down here?" he yelled.

"Why didn't you?" the blonde replied.

He sighed, "I haven't gotten a chance to take the test yet." No way the Dursley's would have taken him to the Ministry over summer, and once he got to Grimmauld Place no one would let him leave again. Well, Sirius wanted to take him, but he was outvoted. Much to his godfather's annoyance.

"Neither have I." Something about the bitter way, Malfoy said it made Harry want to ask questions but he figured they weren't friends, so it wasn't his place.

As they approached the small town, they passed a few people, none of them seemed to be surprised to see them. There was no pointing or gawking. No people coming up to him asking him millions of annoying questions, and no one accosting Malfoy. At first, he wasn't concerned, figuring maybe it was a muggle town. But he noticed a few with wands and a group of small children using magic in the open.

He looked over at Malfoy and saw the other boy looked at him too. Something was off about this place. He noticed Malfoy had his hand inside his robe, holding on to his wand and that he was watching the people around him.

When they finally found a small pub, they walked into it. There weren't many people inside, and only the lady behind the bar looked up at them as they entered.

"Well, hello dearies," she said waving them over, "What can I do for you?" Harry saw out of the corner of his eye, Malfoy looked at him and then back at the women, it seemed the blonde was expecting her to comment on Harry Potter being in her bar. Instead, there was no look of recognition in her eyes; giving Harry a horrible feeling in his stomach.

He and Malfoy exchanged a glance.

"Umm, we are a bit lost?" he said, smiling at her, "We were trying to apparate and seemed to have gotten ourselves misplaced." He kept his eyes wide and his smile on. He wanted to go for naïve and lost and not scared and freaking out.

"Oh, you poor dears," the women said, rushing around the bar. "Did you get splinched, we have a healer here in town. I'm sure she could help you." She reached out and started looking him over, even forcing him to turn around so she could make sure.

When he was turned to face Malfoy, he saw the other teen had pulled out his wand, Harry shook his head, telling him no.

The blonde glared at him but lowered his wand.

When he was back to facing the women, she seemed content that he was whole, and moved towards Malfoy. Not wanting the suspicious Slytherin to hex her, Harry moved into her way, "No splinching. Really, we are okay, just a little lost."

The women smiled at him again.

"Well you both are wearing Hogwarts robes, so you are a bit away from home, but nothing some floo powder can't fix. Come along, I have a fireplace this way." He looked back over at Malfoy, unsure. Something was still off about all this. He could see Malfoy looking around, seeming as unsure as he was.

"Dearies?" the women called from the doorway.

"Sorry, coming," Harry called after her. He put his hand against his pocket, ready to reach for his wand should he needed it, and he heard Malfoy moving behind him. It should have made him nervous having Malfoy at his back, but the truth was this town scared him more than the blonde.

"You two shouldn't be wandering around, without an adult," the women muttered as they followed behind her, "Your parents should know better. Not with You-know-who attacking everyone. I mean that attack last week outside London," She tsked. "Horrible, 22 dead."

Harry's feet stopped moving, "What?" That didn't make sense, Voldemort had been laying low since the fight at the ministry. Harry hadn't heard anything about him attacking anyone.

"Oh," she said, stopping to look at them. " Did your parents not tell you? You would think they would have wanted you prepared." She gave them a frown, "At least your headmaster should have been keeping a better eye on you." Then she was moving again.

Harry took slow steps following, letting himself fall just far enough behind he could whisper to Malfoy.

"Did you hear of an attack?" he whispered, keeping his eye on the lady in front of them.

"No," Malfoy whispered back, "The Dark Lord hasn't attacked anyone for months."

"That's what I thought," he said and sped up his walking.

"Now," the women said, " I can not send you back to school, but maybe I can access your families floo?" she asked.

"How about Diagon Alley, The Leaky Cauldron," Malfoy asked from behind him, "I need to get a school book," the blonde lied. "Then we can send an owl to the headmaster." The women frown at them, but nodded.

"All right. Who's first?" Harry looked at the Floo, he really hated travelling by floo powder, he always ended up flat on his face.

There was an impatient huff behind him. "I will," Malfoy said, starting to push past him, when he moved, just close enough, "Don't hesitate," the blonde whispered.

Then Harry watched as Malfoy took a handle full of the powder and threw it, "The Leaky Cauldron." With green flames, the blonde was gone.

Not feeling comfortable being here alone, Harry reached in the bowl and took his own handful.

"Thank you," he said to the woman. Then tossed the powered.

"The Leaky Cauldron," he shouted.

Then he stumbled and knew he was going to hit the ground. Instead, someone caught him and pulled him back up. "Really, Potter?" Malfoy asked smirking at him.

He tried not to blush from embarrassment. Then shoved the blonde away. He heard Malfoy laugh, but didn't get a chance to yell at him.

"Shouldn't you boys be at school?" Tom the bartender asked.

"Hello Tom," he said with a smile, happy to see someone he knew.

"Hello lad," the man said returning his smile, "now what can I do for you."

Harry's blood ran cold, he was looking at Tom, really looking at him. Not only had the man not recognized him but he looked better. Younger, less grey hair and wrinkles, but that couldn't be right. This was wrong, it had to be some kind of trick, because the only thing coming to mind about what could possibly be happening, was too weird even for him.

He opened his mouth and closed it again, what should he say.

"A room " Malfoy said, moving past him. "For the night."

The bartered eyed them wearily.

"We are meeting our parents," Harry said. "They wanted to see us after what happened last week." Using the information, the woman had given them. Tom sighed and nodded.

Once Tom had given them a room number, he told them to sit down and eat. Not that either of them complained. Harry knew he was starving, and despite Malfoy not acting like it, he would bet he was too.

A few moments later Tom placed a big bowl of soup in front of each of them along with a glass of pumpkin juice Harry dived in right away, while Malfoy eyed it.

"Just eat," he muttered.

The blonde glared at him, but picked up his spoon and took a bite.

It must not have tasted too bad because he kept eating.

"Lucius, my boy!" a man said, moving to stand behind Malfoy, "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at school?" Harry and Malfoy both choked on their soups and looked at each other wide-eyed.

"I'm sorry, sir, "Harry said quickly pushing his bowl away from him, "But I think you have my friend," and was that a weird word to use about Malfoy, "confused with someone else." The man gave him a dark look, and turned to look at Malfoy.

"Oh.I am sorry. You look just like a young friend of mine," the man said looking confused. Then he excused himself and walked off.

Harry looked at Malfoy, then picked up his bowl and drink, "Come on."

It showed just how thrown the other teen was that he didn't hesitate just picked up his stuff and followed Harry.

Harry rushed to their room, he opened the door, waiting for Malfoy to follow him in, then slammed it shut and fell back against it.

"This can't be happening," he muttered, trying desperately to think of another explanation.

"What the bloody hell is going on?" Malfoy demanded from the small table he had sat in front of.

"You're never going to believe me," Harry said, and received a glare in response.

"I think we are in the past," he said meeting Malfoy's gaze.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter four: Past**

_Harry's POV_

"You think …we're what?" Malfoy asked, spinning his spoon around in his bowl. The blonde didn't take a bite, just seemed to need something to do.

"In the past." He said, slowly moving to sit across from his rival. Although he was freaking out over the possible time travel, he was also trying to work out what the hell was different about the blonde. Ever since he had woken up confused with the other teen over him, there was this feeling like something was off. Not to mention they hadn't been fighting or arguing, which they had always done before.

"Potter." There was a draw to the way the blonde said his name that hinted it wasn't the first time he had said it. Harry shook his head and looked at the other teen.

"Well, the freaking portal thing for one, but the fact that no one has recognized either of us. I mean you're Draco Malfoy and…." He took an annoyed breath, "And I'm the boy who lived. Either one of us should draw attention. The two of us together." He stopped talking. Not really needing to finish that sentence.

"And the man downstairs thought I was my father," Malfoy added after a moment.

Harry just nodded and started eating his stew again. He wasn't really hungry and it had grown cold, but he knew he should eat.

"How much money do you have?" Harry asked when he finished as much food as he was going to be able to keep down. The blonde looked up at him and raised his eyebrow, making Harry want to roll his eyes.

"We don't know how long we are going to be here," he pointed out, letting to blonde fill in the rest.

"Why don't we just tell someone?" Malfoy asked pushing his half-empty bowl again.

"We can't," Harry said, looking away.

He swore there was a growl from the other teen, but when he looked back, there was no sound.

"Why not?" Malfoy asked, leaning back in his chair, and crossing his arms over his chest.

Harry pressed his lips together and tried to think of a way to explain things to the other student without revealing too much. He knew it needed to be believable and with Malfoy's knowledge about magic far outweighing his, he needed to be careful of what he said, because the blonde could possibly catch a lie.

"What if us telling someone, messes up the future?" he asked as a distraction.

The blonde studied him. "Whoever we told we could obliviate after," the blonde pointed out. Harry groaned. That was a good point.

"What if something went wrong?" he asked. He was debating telling Malfoy about Hermione time turner and the warning Dumbledore had given them, "or we needed more than one person's help?'

Again, he noticed the blonde was watching him, he felt his skin tingle and tried hard not to fidget at the uncomfortable feeling that started to grow. Being around Malfoy has always irritated him, but this was different.

"What aren't you saying?" the blonde asked.

Now it was his turn to lean back, with a huff of air, he started to talk, "Remember in third year, Hermione took just about every class possible?" the blonde nodded, slightly irritated look on his face. It almost made Harry smile, thinking about how pissed the Malfoy heir must have been to know that Hermione was showing him up again, then he remembered that she wasn't the person he thought she was and the humor faded. "Well turns out she had a time turner."

Malfoy opened his mouth, but Harry was fast to cut him off, "She was using it to attend classes, but…" he hesitated, would Malfoy tell anyone what he was about to say. Were his uncertain fears enough to put Sirius and Buckbeak in danger?

"Potter?" the blonde said, sounding a little curious.

Surprised, he looked up. "You have to swear not to tell anyone."

The blonde frowned at him, but like Harry hoped his curiosity got the better of him. Because he nodded.

"We used it to save Buckbeak."

Malfoy glared at him for a moment and then gave a smile. "You and the m… Hermione pulled one over on the ministry and my father." Then he laughed. "Perfect," the blonde muttered when he stopped laughing, then he waved Harry on.

"Dumbledore warned us. Beforehand. That messing with time could be dangerous and that interacting with ourselves or others, could have really bad consequences."

Again, the room fell into silence, Harry was trying to think of what to do next. If Malfoy believed him then they would have to work together to find a way back to their own time. If Malfoy didn't then he would have to continue trying to make him believe, or at least stop him from running off to tell Dumbledore about them.

"Potter," Malfoy's voice broke through his thoughts, and he looked up at the other boy, "If we can not seek help, what is your plan?"

Malfoy didn't look smug or mocking as he asked the question, in fact he looked concerned.

"If we have enough money, I would think we start at Flourish and Blotts, see if there are any books mentioning time travel or portals." He stopped, "we have to figure out how long we can stay here without drawing attention and a plan for if we can't stay here or don't have enough money," he finished.

"I may have an idea about how to get money," Malfoy said, "but first, we will go search for books. Though I doubt we will have much luck." The last bit was muttered. Then Malfoy got up and headed for the door, never once looking back to see if he was being followed. Harry rolled his eyes at the blonde's attitude, of course, he was used to people doing what he wanted and following his lead.

With a huff of annoyance, Harry pushed himself to his feet and tried not to chase after the blonde.

It was strange walking along Diagon Alley, and not having people notice him. No one came up to shake his hand or to call him mad. No one was staring or muttering as he walked passed. He simply got to go about his walk undisturbed, except for an annoying blonde that kept yelling at him to hurry up.

Once inside the bookstore, he intentionally went a different direction than Malfoy. He has a feeling they were going to be stuck with each other for at least a few days and he was going to take any chance he could to be alone.

As he skimmed the bookshelves, he has a feeling of sorrow. Research was always Hermione's thing and he missed her. He knew he shouldn't, that her and Ron had been faking their friendship with him, but it has been real to him. He has truly thought that he found two friends that would always be there for him and that they would be in each other's lives forever. Now all he has was himself.

He shook his head, that wasn't true, he has Sirius and Remus or at least he hoped he did. Sirius has to disappear again after the fight at the ministry and besides a single letter, he received at the start of summer he hadn't heard from his godfather. He felt pain in his chest as he started to wonder if Sirius really cared about him. What if his godfather, was like his friends and it was all just a lie? No, Sirius had warned him about Dumbledore, so he had to care, right? What if Remus really didn't care about him?

He felt his eyes start to water and had to reach up and wipe the tears away with the sleeve of his robe.

Clearing his mind off the depressing thoughts he went back to scanning the books. After all, he has bigger things to worry about at the moment then whether more of his so-called friends were lying to him.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: Shopping**

_Harry's POV_

"Potter." He startled and looked up from the book he was currently reading, so far it only mentioned time turners but it was the first book he had come across that even mention time travel.

"What?" Malfoy stood in front of him, with an arm full of books, that looked ready to fall over. He quickly placed his book on top and took half of the books from the blonde's arms.

"Please tell me, we don't need all these?" he asked.

"They could be useful," Malfoy said. Then looked at the single book, Harry had placed onto the pile. When he looked at Harry with a raised brow, Harry felt his cheeks redden in embarrassment.

"It's the only one that said anything about time travel," he muttered.

"And portals? Or perhaps information on Gringotts? Or maybe laws about underage magic?" the blonde said sneering at him.

He froze because despite Malfoy condescending tone, those were good questions and he hadn't thought about any of them. He has been caught up thinking about his friends and only focused on time travel because it took less effort.

He bowed his head, "I didn't think of those."

The blonde just sighed and pushed past him. Again, he found himself following behind the blonde, this time he didn't make a comment even to himself. Instead, he just handed the other teen his half of the books when they were ready to leave.

He watched as Malfoy talked and paid for the books, as he watched he remembered that despite all the purebloods childishness and pranks, he was one of the smartest kids in their year. He heard Hermione complained more than once that Malfoy was top in potions and Transfiguration, and barely behind her in Charms. She hated that anyone could possibly be as smart as her and insisted that he was cheating.

Harry had wanted to agree with her but figured the teachers would have caught on by now if he had been cheating. And now, having Malfoy point out things he missed, important things, he was sure that Malfoy was more intelligent then he had thought.

He silently took a couple of the bags and headed out of the store. He headed towards the leaky cauldron, but there was a mumbled curse behind him and suddenly he was being yanked in a different direction.

"If you think, Potter, that I'm wearing the same clothes for more than a day. You are mistaken." Then he was pulled into a store that he hadn't been in before. It was nice, too nice. Harry was sure the clothes he could see were worth more than his entire wardrobe. He sighed.

Malfoy let go of his arm and went to speak to a nice elderly man, that had moved to greet them when they entered the shop.

Not really in the mood to watch Malfoy shop, Harry quickly found a chair and pulled out one of the books, they had just acquired and started reading.

He was about three chapters in and learned that Gringotts and the Goblins had a lot more power than he ever guessed when an arm full of clothes was dropped into his lap. He yelped and as he jumped he tried to catch them all before they fell onto the floor.

Once he had them all in his arms he looked up and glared at a smirking Malfoy.

"I had to guess your size because you decided to hide over here." Malfoy took the book out of his fingers and placed it back in the bag. "Now up, you have to try them on."

He stood there in shock. Malfoy was going to buy him clothes? Not only that but the blonde had taken the time to guess his size and pick things out for him? His own Aunt wouldn't do that.

"Now. Potter," the blonde snapped at him, and Harry found himself moving to the small dressing room area.

As he went to try on the clothes, he felt a little awed. Most of the clothes he owned where hand me downs or school robes. He had never been clothes shopping for himself. Sure, he had spent hours following along behind his Aunt, while she shopped for the others. Only bring him to carry the bags, but he had never himself, picked out and tried on clothes for himself.

The fact that he was doing so now, made him a little lightheaded, and the fact that it was because of Malfoy, made him dizzy. How was it, a person who had bullied him and made him miserable seemed to have more care or manners than his own blood.

He sighed and grabbed a dark green shirt. He snorted, at the idea that Malfoy picked it because of the color. It was soft, and he found himself running his fingers across it a few times before he unbuttoned it and slipped it on.

The shirt felt incredible, the long sleeves were warm but not hot and the soft material felt almost like a blanket wrapped around him. He finished buttoning it and looked down. Now that it was on he could make out small designs that was hidden in the green, not very noticeable but there appeared to be some kind of ivy leaves stitched along the sleeves and the collar.

He really liked the shirt, but he found himself unsure about the fit. It felt like it fit him, but he hadn't ever owned a nice dress shirt before and he didn't know if there was anything special he needed to know about the way to wear it.

With another sigh, he pulled the curtain back, and looked for Malfoy.

The blonde was sitting in a chair, book in his hand and drink on the table next to him.

Harry chuckled because only Malfoy could be lost in another time and still look right at home.

He cleared his throat to get the blondes attention. When Malfoy looked at him, he gave the other a lost look.

He actually saw the blonde's eyes roll, before he placed the book next to his drink and stood up, walking towards him.

When he was close the blonde, gently ran his hands along Harry's shoulders, smoothing down the shirt, then he stood back and Harry could feel the blonde's eyes on him as he looked over him. It felt weird having Malfoy's full attention on him, it was different than their normal interaction. Still intense but less hostile.

"Well?" he asked, because he started to feel uncomfortable.

The blonde nodded, "It will do."

It was his turn to roll his eyes as he turned and returned to the small changing area. He quickly tried on a few more shirts, using the green as a model for what he should look for. The pants were easier, he just went with what felt comfortable, Malfoy had even picked out a few pairs of muggle jeans. He started with two small piles as he went, the clothes he liked and fit and everything else.

He wasn't sure how many he was supposed to pick out, so he ended up adding a third, clothes that he liked but didn't have to have.

When he was down he grabbed all three piles and left the room.

"How many am I supposed to get?" he asked when he was in front of the blonde.

Malfoy raised his brow at him, embarrassed, "I don't know how much you want to spend, or how many outfits I'm supposed to get." he huffed out.

"You can get all of them." the blonde said, raising from his seat. "That's why I gave them to you." His tone implied that Harry was an idiot.

Frustrated, Harry stormed away and found the same man, Malfoy had been talking to earlier.

"Excuse me?" he asked, "Umm these don't fit," he said pulling out the small pile. "If you tell me where they go, I'll put them back," he finished with a smile.

Which fell when the man gave him a weird look. He wasn't sure what he had done, but he was pretty sure he had just offended the man. Instead of telling him where to go the man, took the offered pile and placed it on the counter behind him.

"There is no need, sir, I'll make sure they get put back." Oh, Harry thought.

"Thank you," he said. He stood there for a second, unsure of what to do.

"Potter!" He dropped his head, only a little grateful that he now had an excuse to walk away from the man who was still giving him a strange look.

"What?" he hissed as he walked towards the blonde.

He stopped walking, his face full on turning red when he realized what part of the store they were now standing in.

"I…" he started but closed his mouth when Malfoy gave a grin.

"As entertaining as watching you trying to think of a way out of this, I'd like to point out that you will need more than one pair of underwear, and some sleep pants." The blonde pointed to another section, connect to the one they were in. "Might be more comfortable than sleeping in your pants." Then the blonde moved and started searching for himself.

Harry only stood there for a couple of seconds before he realized he watching Malfoy search for underwear, then he quickly looked away and tried to find something that would fit him.

It wasn't hard, turned out boxers were almost the exact same in both the Wizarding and Muggles world. So, he found a few pairs that he liked the feel of and then moved on to the sleepwear section. He had already found one pair, that felt like thin cotton when two pairs made of something soft and shining were added to his pile.

"Trust me," the blonde said, and then he tossed on a robe and a couple of shirts that Harry was sure were tank tops.

Deciding that since the blonde was paying, he didn't really have a place to argue, he just let the blonde add what he wanted.

He was so relieved when they were done, he had no idea why Malfoy or his Aunt seemed to enjoy shopping so much, he found it boring and stressful.

This time when they exited the shop, he didn't assume they were done, he just stopped and looked at Malfoy.

The blonde gave a grin and started walking back towards the Leaky Cauldron.

As they walked, Harry's stomach grumbled and he noticed it was growing dark. He sighed, they had been out longer than he thought. He waited until they were back in their room before asking Malfoy what they planned to do for dinner.

The blonde just looked at him with a look that again told Harry that the blonde thought he was an idiot.

"I'll get us supper. You can get out clothes out, organized and hung up." Then the blonde started towards the door.

'Hang the clothes up?' Harry thought, looking around the room. There wasn't much, a bed, a table, a small door that led to a bathroom. No closet or anything to hang up anything on.

"Ummm?" He started, he heard Malfoy sigh as he opened the door.

"In the bag, Potter." He waited until the door closed to move.

He wanted to shout at the idiot Slytherin but instead just grabbed the bags and started going through them. He found one full of stuff that he hadn't noticed Malfoy buy. Two shrunken trunks, a metal rack, he didn't know for sure what it was called, two wrist holsters, and a pair of black boots.

He wanted to be angry that again the blonde had thought of practical things that had never crossed his mind, but at this point, he was too hungry and tired to really waste the energy. So, he pulled the metal rack and unshrunk it. To his surprise it came with hangers along with the long thin bar and had one side that held for small shelves.

Once it was up, he started pulling out clothes and hanging them up. He placed all Malfoy's on one end and his on the other. Most of the pants also went on hangers, two pairs folded over to save on space. He then folded his sleep pants and placed them on one shelf and Malfoy's on another. He tried not to blush when he added both of their boxers to the same shelves. Then he placed the wrist holsters on the top shelf and the boots on the last.

He was just unshrinking the two trunks when the blonde walked through the door, a tray floating behind him.

The blonde stopped only long enough to survey the rack, then nodded his approval before moving and placing the tray on the table.

After that they sat down and ate, he pulled out the book he had started at the clothes store and a quill, he made some notes on a few entries he found useful. At one point he heard Malfoy shuffling through the bag but didn't look up to see what the other man was doing.

When his eyes started to hurt from reading, he put the book down and looked at the bed, then at the bathroom. It had been in the back of his mind all day that there was only a single bed in the room and that at some point, they would either fight over who got it or ended up sharing it. It wasn't really sure which he preferred, but he knew he didn't want to sleep on the floor.

"I'm going to shower, then try to get some sleep," he said, leaving Malfoy to make of the statement what he would. Then he got up, walked over to the rack and grabbed the pair of pants he picked out and one of the tank tops Malfoy had picked. He didn't normally sleep with a shirt on, but he figures the blonde had gotten them for a reason.

He didn't waste time in the shower, given that neither of them thought to buy the needed supplies. He made a mental note to mention it in the morning. Then he dried off and got dressed.

He crawled into the bed and slowly drifted off to sleep as Malfoy continued to read at the small table. At some point he was woken up by the blonde joining him in the bed. A gap of space between them, and then he went right back to sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six: The next day.**

_Harry's POV_

Harry woke up the next morning surprisingly refreshed and comfortable. Not something he was used to giving the nightmares he normally suffers from, when he sleeps. He was tempted to just relax and fall back asleep, but he noticed that he was also warm and pressed against another warm body.

He sucked in a breath and slowly opened his eyes, he was pressed close to Malfoy, his arm over the other's chest. He tried not to breath as he slowly lifted up his arm and rolled away from his rival. He let out a breath when Malfoy didn't move or wake up.

He silently walked across the room, a skill he had mastered from living with the Dursley's and then had used far too many times at Hogwarts, when he entered the bathroom, he closed the door and leaned against it.

He hadn't ever slept in the same bed as anyone before, so he hadn't thought about the possibility of ending up that close. He was just grateful that he woke up first and not Malfoy because no way would the blonde have been okay with that. He would definitely end up sleeping on the floor for the rest of the time they were stuck here.

He took his time going to the bathroom, letting his mind wake up. Then he rinsed his hands and face and left the bathroom. When he sat at the table. He noticed a small roll of parchment in the center and reached out then grabbed it.

It seemed Malfoy had been busy, he had written down a few accounts of people saying they had travelled in time and had even written down a few basic spells that were said to manipulate time.

He put the blondes notes back where he found them and picked up a small stack of coins Malfoy must have left out. He hoped that they were left for him, because before this he hadn't even see Malfoy's money. Deciding to let Malfoy sleep, he changed and pocketed the money.

He didn't plan on being gone long, but he still left a small note on another piece of parchment before he left.

He ate breakfast at a small shop before he went about to buy some toiletries they needed for the bathroom. He was on his way back when a wave of dizziness hit him. He stumbled and barely caught himself on a wall, it didn't last long and when it was gone, he felt tired.

He stayed leaning against the wall until he was sure he was alright, then finished heading back to their room.

Malfoy was awake and reading, when he opened the door. The blonde looked up long enough to make sure it was him, then went back to his book.

Harry put his bags in the bathroom and then sat on the edge of the bed. He was debating telling the blonde about his dizzy spell or even asking if Malfoy was having any side effects, when Malfoy stopped reading and looked at him.

"What?" the blonde asked, brow raised and a strange look on his face.

"Huh?" he asked, he didn't think he said anything out loud.

"I can practically hear your mind working, what is it?"

"Oh, it's nothing," he mumbled, looking away from the blonde.

There was a snort, "you're a horrible liar Potter."

He looked up ready to snap and argue, but slammed his mouth shut. Which caused the smug Slytherin to laugh. "You can't even deny it."

Harry groaned.

Then snapped, "You know most people don't see that as a bad thing."

"Most people don't have to rely on it to keep them alive," Malfoy countered.

He wanted to ask, but the way Malfoy was glaring at him, told him it was not a smart idea.

"So, what's your plan for money?" he asked, changing the subject.

The blonde relaxed a little. "Family vaults are accessible to those that can prove by magic and blood that they are allowed. I believe if done correctly I can gain access to my family vaults." He sounded so smug, that Harry wanted to kick him.

"Won't some notice the missing money?" he asked instead of kicking,

Malfoy actually paused to think it over.

"If I don't remove more than we need it should go unnoticed." It sounded like Malfoy was speaking more to himself than to Harry, but he nodded his head anyway.

"So, are we are off to Gringotts then?" he asked.

He was tempted to ask if he could stay behind, he was dead tired and wasn't looking forward to spending more time with Malfoy, but if the Slytherin's theory was correct, he wanted to try getting money from his own vault, he didn't want to have to rely on Malfoy for money the whole time they were stuck here.

"Of course," Malfoy said, then like the day before he was up and moving towards the door, expecting Harry to follow him. He was so very tempted to not move, but the need for money outweighed him messing with the blonde, so he pushed himself off the bed and followed.

It wasn't until they reached Gringotts that he started to feel nervous. If Malfoy's plan didn't work they would be in trouble and they might have to seek help from someone in this time. And given that their parents were too young, it would have to be the headmaster, and that thought alone made his stomach hurt.

He followed behind Malfoy as the blonde found an open teller.

"We would like to speak to someone in private," Malfoy said with a slight bow to the goblin behind the counter, Harry felt his brows lift and his mouth open. Did Malfoy really show respect to someone other than a pureblood wizard?

The goblin tilted his head in a slight bow. "One moment." Then he turned and disappeared behind some large doors.

"Shut your mouth, Potter." the blonde muttered, without turning around.

He groaned, did Malfoy really know he had been standing there gaping at him or was he telling him not to say anything. Whichever it was, he closed his mouth.

A few seconds later, the goblin that had been behind the counter came out followed by a slightly taller goblin that was well dressed and held a frown on his face.

"My name is Grimmhook, please follow me," the taller one said, and then lead them into a private room. The room was larger than Harry had been expecting. At one end it held a large desk, large in width, not height. Two chairs in front of it. But at the other end, there was a sitting area, two decent sized couches facing each other, with a table in the middle. Harry could see a few items scattered across the table, but besides a few bowls, he couldn't really tell what was there.

While he took in the room, Grimmhook took his seat behind the desk and gestured for them to do the same. They moved in sync, as they crossed the room and took their seats.

"Mr. Malfoy and Mr. Potter, what may I assist you with," he asked, pointedly looking at Malfoy.

They both froze and stared at the Goblin. "How did you know our names?" Harry asked. He looked at Malfoy and saw the other teen was tense, probably thinking of a way to get out of the room and bank if needed.

"You will find many spells in Gringotts, one of which identifies bloodlines as they enter. It is to help ensure the safety of our vaults and your items, we are interested in." Well, he thought, that should make proving who we are easier.

The blonde hold himself straight in his chair, "I need to gain access to my family's vaults."

The goblin looked, well annoyed, and Harry could guess why. The way Malfoy said it was as if it was an everyday thing, that any goblin could have helped with. He groaned.

"It's not just that," he said and shuddered when they both turned to look at him.

He ignored Malfoy, "We…" he said drawing out the we, to make a point to the blonde, "need to access our family's vaults, but are unsure if it is possible." The goblin tilted his head, encouraging me to continue.

He had a brief thought of making up some story, but then he remembered something he had read.

The goblins at Gringotts were not allowed to tell anyone what was said or done by one of their clients. So, here was someone they could actually tell about their problem and the Goblin couldn't say a word to anyone without their permission.

So, he sat up straighter. "We aren't from this time." He heard Malfoy let out a breath, and knew for sure he was being glared at. "We somehow ended up in the past, and until we find out how and a way home, we need to be able to survive, which means money," he finished.

Grimmhook looked at them both, taking them in. Then he nodded his head and stood up,

"Excuse me, while I get your paperwork."

"Paperwork?" he muttered, as the goblin left the room.

"What the hell, Potter!?" the blonde snapped. "You tell me we can't say anything to anyone and you go blabbing to one of the first people we really talk to?"

"He can't tell anyone," he said, turning to look at Malfoy.

"What do you mean?" the blonde questioned, losing some of his anger.

"The book you bought, about Gringotts, it says that they aren't allowed to share any information about their clients to anyone without permission."

"And you're just telling me this now?" the blonde glared at him. "Bloody idiot."

"I didn't think about it until _Now_!" he snapped back.

Malfoy was about to say something, probably another insult when the door opened and Grimmhook walked back in.

"Has this happened before?" Malfoy asked.

The goblin shook his head, "No, but we have always known there was a possibility. So, we have set up a number of plans, in case it was needed." He sat down. "Now, was it from misuse of a time turner?" he asked, only slighting glaring at them.

"No," they said in unison. Then they looked at each other, then quickly looked away.

"A spell?" Grimmhook asked.

Harry felt himself shrug, it could have been.

"I don't believe so," Malfoy said.

"And why not?" Grimmhook said, placing his papers on the desk.

"There was a light," Potter said, "it looked like a portal. I have never heard of a spell like that."

"Huh, then these will be of no use. However, I have a few more questions." He stood up, "I believe we will be more comfortable over here." He moved to the sitting area, Harry looked at Malfoy, the blonde just rolled his eyes and got up and moved to the couches. Harry quickly followed. They ended up on the same couch, sitting across from Grimmhook, who had placed a piece of parchment on the table and had a quill floating over it.

"Now, names?" he asked.

"Draco Malfoy," the Slytherin said without hesitation. It seemed he was taking Harry's word that Grimmhook wouldn't tell anyone.

"Harry Potter."

"Ages?"

"16," they said together.

"Parents?" This time, Harry cut Malfoy off before he could answer.

"Why?" he asked.

Grimmhook looked at him. "If we are to integrate you into this time, it would be wise to know the people who your interactions with could impact the future."

"Integrate?" Malfoy asked.

"If need be." Grimmhook nodded, "As I said before, we have known this was possible, but we have yet to find a way to send anyone back." Harry's heart skipped, " but we will continue to look, and I am sure you will too, and one of the best libraries to find information would be…"

"Hogwarts," again, both him and Malfoy spoke at the same time, coming to the same conclusion. Grimmhook wanted them to go to Hogwarts.

"You can't access the library?" Harry asked.

"No one outside current students and staff is allowed on Hogwarts grounds, unfortunately, the current situation, has caused safety measure around the school to be increased."

"Voldemort," Harry hissed, Malfoy tensed and Grimmhook gave him a nod.

"We can't," he muttered a second later.

"Why not?" the goblin asked, actually looking confused.

"Our parents" he said, looking away from the goblin and at his hands. He felt his head spin and his heart slammed against his chest as the thought hit him, the possibility of seeing his parents. Sure, it had crossed his mind, before but this was different, this was something that could actually happen, if they went along with what Grimmhook wanted.

If he and Malfoy went to Hogwarts, here in the past, they would be in the same school, possibly the same houses and classes as their parents. His parents. The two people he had dreamed and imagined meeting so many times in his life, the same two people that died because of a fucked-up prophecy and a power-hungry madman, how could he be here, around them and not warn them of what was to come.

And if he warned them? What would the consequences be?

"Potter?" he heard Malfoy's voice, it was gentler then he had ever heard, and the shock of that was enough to pull him back.

"I can't," he said, looking up to meet the blonde's gaze. He could see understanding there, something he never would have imagined. It seemed that even the cruel bully he knew could understand the hurt he felt at the idea of seeing his parents.

"Mr. Potter," Grimmhook said. "You would not be able to attend as yourselves. We would have to give you fake names and a good reason to transfers schools." The goblin reached down and picked up two pieces of paper. "Now the school year starts in a week. So, take these and if you decided to attend school, fill them out and owl them back as soon as possible." He took the paper with shaking hands, without reading it, he followed it up and put it inside his robe.

"Now, as for money," the goblin said, handing them two different pieces of parchment. "This we have planned for, you fill these out, and we set up a vault, not connected to your families, we place an allotted amount inside, that you have access to. We will keep track of what you spend and if need be add more." The goblin took a second. "Then when you return home, the amount used is removed from your vaults to pay back the bank." Harry looked down at the paper, in his hand. "If, however," he heard Grimmhook go on, "you do not find a way to return, you have until that times comes naturally to you, to pay back the amount."

There was more talked about after that, Grimmhook told them that he may have an idea for how to start their transfer, and that there was a spell he could perform to change their looks and magical signature after that he and Malfoy filled out the paperwork to gain access to their new vaults and left.

He didn't speak to the blonde as they walked back to their room, nor when he ate or changed and crawled into bed. He didn't even make a sound when he felt tears fall, as he thought about the consequences on if he saved his parents.

After that, he let the sheer exhaustion from the day, pull him under.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7: Cuddling**

_Draco's POV_

Something close to him was shaking. At least that's what his half-asleep brain told him, so he went to roll over, but was forced to stop by the weight of a body pressed against him. He opened his eyes and turned his head, Potter had his face buried into his back and an arm and leg thrown over him.

Something that normally would have freaked him out, but the way the dark-haired male was shaking against him, caused him to feel more concern than anger. He reached his non-trapped arm and tried to shake Potter.

That must have been the wrong thing to do, because the other boy whimpered and tried to bury himself deeper into Draco's back. Unsure what to do, he tried to free himself from the other's arms. He got as far as removing the arm before the smaller boy left out a soft whine. A wave of distress came off the Gryffindor and Draco found himself unwilling to force the other away again. So, he maneuvered himself on to his back, and the sleeping body next to him moved with him. They ended up with him on his back and Potter's head on his chest.

With him now awake and no longer trying to move away, Potter settled down and fell into a deeper sleep. Draco watched him, wondering what kind of nightmare Potter must have been having that had him clinging so desperately to him.

Unable to get out of bed, Draco used his wand to summon a book off the table. He wasn't sure how long he read, but he was a fairly good handle on how Time Tuner's worked, when the body next to him shifted and then froze.

Decided to have a little fun with Potter, he looked over and smirked at him.

"Good morning." The panic in the green eyes made him chuckle, especially when the other teen realized he was still half-pressed again him. His cheeks turned red and he mumbled something before jumping off the bed and running into the bathroom.

Draco watched him go shaking his head, of course the amusement faded as Potter refused to come out of the bathroom.

About a half hour later, he dropped the book, he had been reading, on the bed, and walked over to the door. He knocked, "You coming out?"

There was some mumbled responds from behind the door, one that he couldn't really make out. He didn't care, since when was the bloody Gryffindor a coward.

"Dammit, Potter!" he cursed. "You can't hide in there forever. We have things to discuss and plans to work out." Draco had no idea what was wrong with Potter, the boy seemed moody as hell since they had been stuck in the past, not to mention the tired look that never seemed to fade. He didn't know exactly what was wrong, but he had a feeling it was more than fear of seeing his parents or some effect of time travel. After all he felt fine.

"Potter!" he cursed again, banging his fist against the door.

Another mumbled reply had him grabbing his wand. With a wave and muttered spell, the door flew open.

Potter jumped from where he had been leaning against the small sink, "What the hell Malfoy!"

"I couldn't hear whatever lame excuse you were muttering. Now get out here. We have other things to worry about, then you liking to cuddle." He turned away from Potter and moved to their small table.

He could hear Potter's footsteps behind as he sat down. The other teen sat down and Draco had to fight back a grin, when the other couldn't meet his eyes.

He used his wand to send a message to the kitchen that they would like breakfast, then he looked at Potter. "We have to talk about Grimmhook's plan."

"I know," the dark-haired boy said, finally looking at him.

"It's a good plan," he said, watching as Potter drew into himself. Feet on the chair and arms over his knees.

"I know," Potter said again, staring at his legs.

Draco sighed. "We have no other plans."

This time, Potter looked up at him long enough to glare. "I know!" it was said loud and angrily.

'_Well at least that got some kind of reaction,' _Draco thought.

"So, are you going to fill out Grimmhooks papers?" he asked.

Potter dropped his head. "It's our only hope."

Draco's sense again picked up a wave of distress from the other boy.

He sighed. "At least this way you get to meet them," he said hoping to show Potter that there was a small bit of good out of this whole messed up situation.

Potter gave no response, and Draco didn't push.

He wondered if he should worry more about the other's health, because it was clear something was off. But he knew that if he brought it up, Potter would get angry probably say Draco didn't really care and that he was just looking for information or a weakness. Which was only partially true, sure it would be good to learn more about the other teen, but he was also worried about Potter's health. After all it wouldn't do for its only companion in the past and the wizarding world's only hope against the Dark Lord to die.

"You think time works the same?" Potter asked, looking up from his parchment.

"How so?" he asked.

"Well we have been here for a couple of days; do you think that's how long it's been in the future?" Draco raised his brow. He hasn't really thought about it much. All he really cared about was getting home, not how long it would take.

"I don't know," he answered.

"You know they are going to think you kidnapped me," Potter pointed out.

Draco groaned and looked away, because he knew it was true, and he knew that when they got home, if Potter didn't tell them otherwise he would be in trouble. The ministry and Dumbledore would want to make an example out of him. Right now, all he could do was hope that Potter's honor would stop that from happening.

He could feel Potter's eyes on him, so he looked back up and met the other's gaze. They stared at each other for a moment before something shifted in Potter's eyes and then he dropped his gaze.

"I'll tell them you didn't," Potter muttered and then went back to his parchment.

Draco just sat there looking at the Gryffindor because he hadn't really expected that, sure they had been civil with each other so far, which in itself was weird but to actually hear Potter says he wouldn't use this to get back at Draco was just a shock. Then he cursed to himself and lowered his head, because of course Potter would be too good to use this against an enemy.

Part of him wanted to smack or hex the other boy and tell him how dumb he was being, because you should always take advantage of your enemies. Even if Potter didn't want the Ministry arresting him, he could still have found a way to hold this over Draco.

Draco shook his head. Just because Potter wasn't looking for advantages didn't mean he wasn't.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8: Uncomfortable Truths**

_Harry's POV_

Harry tried so hard the night after to stay awake. After what had happened that morning he didn't want to fall asleep and wake up wrapped around Malfoy again. When he has realized he was resting on the blonde's chest and said blonde was wide awake, but not doing anything about it, his mind went blank and all he could think was run.

He knew it was dumb to hide in the bathroom, because he would eventually have to go out. Not that Malfoy let him hide very long.

When the other teen, unlocked the door and entered the bathroom, Harry had expected a fight or at least some yelling. Instead, Malfoy made a not so funny comment about him liking to cuddle and let it drop.

And so far, it hadn't come back up again. Hence him not wanting to have a repeat the next morning.

Unfortunately, some time in the night he must have fallen asleep because he was now awake, laying in bed pressed against Malfoy. His head was again on the other's chest and his arm was thrown over the other's chest, only this time Malfoy was still asleep, and he had his own arm wrapped about Harry's waist.

So small voice in the back of his head told him to let it go, relax and fall back asleep, because it felt good, he was warm and comfortable and something about having Malfoy's heartbeat, beating in his ear was soothing, but the rational voice in his head told him he wouldn't get lucky twice and that he needed to move before Malfoy woke up.

As gently as he could he reached down and slowly took ahold of Malfoy's arm, he tried to pick it up, but the blonde's hand twitched and the arm around his waist tightened. He sucked in a breath. That was not what he had planned.

He tried not to shift his body as he tried again, again the sleeping blonde tightened his hold when Harry tried to remove his arm

Harry mumbled a curse and reached for the blonde's arm for a third time.

"What are you doing?" a muffled voice asked.

Harry felt his face turn red, "Trying to get up," he replied, proud that his voice sounded confident and bored.

There was a sigh from the other boy and then Malfoy's arm was pulled away from him. Harry wasted no time slipping out of the bed and going into the bathroom. This time he didn't bother trying to hide, because if Malfoy was going to be angry it would have been when he was woken up.

Not that it put this weird morning cuddling thing out of his mind, because he knew sooner or later Malfoy would mock or tease him about it, and he knew that if he reacted in any way but indifferent it would become a thing.

He took a bath then got dressed.

When he came out of the bathroom, Malfoy didn't say anything other then they needed to go to Gringotts today, then the blonde pushed past him and closed the bathroom door.

Breakfast was quiet, neither of them speaking as they looked over their parchments and ate.

When Malfoy was done, he got up and grabbed his coat. Harry, having gotten used to it, just grabbed his own coat and followed him out of their room.

Once they were at Gringotts, Grimmhook ushered them into the same room as before.

"Mister Potter and Mister Malfoy, have you made up your minds?" the Goblin asked sitting them down on the couches.

"Yes," Malfoy answered when Harry just nodded.

"Good. Good," the goblin said. "May I see your Parchments?"

They both handed them over and waited as the Goblin read them over. Harry sat there nervous because if the Goblin was satisfied with their answers they would be returning to Hogwarts in just a couple days and while he missed the school; It was the closest thing he had to a real home. He didn't know how he would react to seeing his parents, their friends, Wormtail, or even the others like McGonagall or the headmaster.

Logically he knew he couldn't do anything. He couldn't hug his parents or attack Peter but he was worried that when it happened he wouldn't think about it logically and that he would just react.

He looked over at Malfoy and wondered if the other boy was worried about seeing his father. He didn't know much about Malfoy's relationship with his mother but surely, he would be happy to see her right?

"This looks to be in order," Grimmhook said placing the papers on the table between them.

"Only you have both left your names off."

"We'll need fake names," Malfoy replied. "We can't use our real ones."

"But we also don't know any names that would be safe to use, without someone knowing someone who could be related to whichever we choose," Harry added.

The goblin nodded.

"I was thinking of using a muggle name," Harry said not looking at the blonde, but he still heard the other take a breath. Knowing Malfoy was about to protest, he spoke quickly, "It would be safer. We wouldn't have to worry about unknown relatives trying to figure out where we came from." This time he looked over at the blonde.

The Pureblood was scowling.

Then he gave a smirk, "But wouldn't two Muggle-borns transferring at the same time, seem strange?"

He opened his mouth, but Grimmhook interrupted their argument before it really got going.

"There is no need," he said. "As I mentioned before, we have a plan in place. There is a small island magically hidden from the muggle world and few wizards know of or go there. We will say that you are from there and that as you are both a year away for maturity you have requested to attend Hogwarts to learn more past your homeschooling and to meet others your age before entering into the wizarding world." Harry just stared at him, the goblins really did have this worked out.

"Now would you like to be related or not?"

"Not," they said at the same time.

The goblin nodded.

"Do you have preferences for your first names?" he continued.

"Luke " Malfoy answered, obviously have giving it some thought. Harry was a little slower, sure he had thought about it, but he hadn't been able to make up his mind.

"Evan," he said because it was as close as he could get to either of his parent's names without it being obvious. He had wanted to use his father's name James, but with his father there it might be weird. He wondered if that was why Malfoy had gone with Luke?

"Alright," the goblin said, getting up. "Excuse me for a moment." Then he turned and walked away, leaving them alone in the room.

"Your dad?" Harry asked, looking over at the blonde.

Malfoy gave a short nod, "But not yours?" he asked looking up.

"Mum," he said with a shrug.

They fell silent, luckily Grimmhook and two other Goblins soon entered the room.

"Mister Potter, this is Igorth. If you will accompany him into the next room, he will place powerful glamour's on you, as well as show you have to remove and maintain them. And Mister Malfoy, this is Saomur, he will stay here with you and do the same for you. I will go to send this off to the school and wait for a reply from the headmaster. It should not take long, as I have already owled him once telling him I may have two students for him." With that the Goblin turned and left.

Harry rose to his feet and moved to follow the small Goblin in front of him, he gave a look over his shoulder at the door, the blonde had stood up to greet the Goblin, but his eyes were on Harry.

Then Harry turned away and followed Igorth into a different smaller room.

"Please Mister Potter, to the center of the room," Igorth said with a wave of his hand.

Harry did as he was told.

"Now this," Igorth said pulling out a necklace. The chain was thin and silver, but on the end hung what appeared to be a fang of some kind. "Is a dragon's tooth. Powerful magic, and it will power and maintain the glamour's we place upon you. The chain is enchanted as well. Protection spells weaved into that will cause it to warm if a spell or hex is aimed at you. It will also shield you from a good number of spells." Harry heard what the goblin said, even as he stared in wonder at the tooth.

He could remember hearing Charlie talk about how powerful different parts of a dragon could be, that's why they were popular ingredients in wands and also why dark wizards try to hunt and kill dragons that are protected on reserves like the one Charlie worked.

"Now, Mister Potter," Igorth said, oblivious to Harry's wandering thoughts. "This tooth can be used as a powerful focusing object. Much like a wand. So, after we place your glamour's, I want you to practice a few spells without your wand, to see if you can tap into the tooth's magic."

Igorth must not have cared much about his response because before he could utter a word the goblin placed the necklace over his head and when Harry felt it settle over his chest there was an electric spark that shot through him.

He gasped and reached for the tooth, without thinking about it. When his skin made contact, there was a hum and another spark hit him, and this time a wave of magic left him and the tooth before it rippled across the room, tossing the goblin backwards.

Then it was gone. Harry could still feel the tooth vibrating in his hand but the electricity and hum were gone.

"I'm sorry," he said rushing to help the Goblin to his feet.

"No need to apologize, Mister Potter," Igorth said. "Though that was unexpected," The goblin tilted his head and it was like his eyes focused in on Harry for the first time.

"Huh," the goblin muttered.

"What?" Harry asked, nervous that something was wrong.

"It appears the tooth was trying to break spells, that were already placed upon you. I believe, before we can place any glamour's we will need to speak to Grimmhook. Follow me." A bad feeling settled in Harry's stomach as they left the room and returned to the one from before.

When they entered, Harry stopped short because Saomur was now standing talking to a light blonde-haired boy with light blue eyes and a face a little more rounded than Malfoy's.

"Close your mouth Potter," the blonde said, his voice the same, and for some reason that relieved Harry. Maybe because with a new look it would be able to forget who Malfoy really was, but no way would he ever forget that entitled tone in the blonde's voice.

While Harry had been standing there staring Igorth had approached his colleague and they were talking in low voice's back and forth.

Malfoy must have figured out that something was wrong because he raised his brow in a silent, what happened?

Harry shrugged.

Malfoy scoffed like he didn't believe him but didn't say anything.

He watched the two Goblins talk, until Saomur nodded and walked towards him.

Harry was hit with an urge to back away, he didn't know where it came from, but it took effort to keep his feet from moving. He did however see Malfoy's head snap up suddenly and weird frown on the blonde's new face.

"Mister Potter, I wish to try a spell. Is that alright?" Saomur asked, and Harry wanted to ask what kind of spell? What for? And what was going on? But it was like he couldn't get his mouth to work. So, he just nodded.

The Goblin lifted his arm and waved his hand, from up to down.

Then suddenly Harry was surrounded in red lines or webs. He wasn't sure but they reached out from his body towards the Goblin and they were entertained and in a few places knotted.

His pulse raced and the urge to back away, suddenly become one to run. He gritted his teeth and made himself remain where he was.

"Shit, Potter" Malfoy gasped and moved towards him.

"What?" He asked, finally finding his voice, looking at the blonde.

"Those are bindings," the other teen reached out, he didn't touch the spell work floating in the air, but he did seem to follow one single strand to see where it lead and then another. Harry watched him. "Can you break them?" he asked Igorth and Saomur.

"We are unsure. We must wait for Grimmhook," Saomur said.

"Shit," he heard Malfoy mutter again and he was tempted to yell at him, but when he turned to look at him, the look on Malfoy's face stopped him. It looked like the blonde was examining and studying whatever these bindings were.

He was about to ask if Malfoy knew anything when the door opened and Grimmhook entered.

The Goblin took one look at the red webs and frowned.

Then like Malfoy he started looking over the spell work, without a word.

For several agonizing moments Harry just stood there and waited for someone to say something.

It was Grimmhook that broke the silence, "whoever placed these is powerful." Which cause Harry to roll his eyes, because he already had an idea who had done it. What he wanted to know why and what they did.

"They are old and strong," the goblin went on. "However, they appear to be weaken and I

believe we can remove them."

Harry breathed a sigh of relief.

"I think that would be a mistake." Malfoy's voice sounded cold as it carried through the room.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9: Bindings**

_Harry's POV_

"Why not?" Harry asked looking at Malfoy, annoyed that the blonde spoke because he wanted these spells gone. He hated the fact that someone had used magic against him. In fact, he was starting to hate how someone was always trying to hurt or manipulate him. Why couldn't people just leave him the hell alone?

"Because Potter," Malfoy said walking closer and dragging his hand along one of the threads. Unlike before this time, the blonde touched them, and every touched sent a shock through Harry.

"This is connected to your inheritance." Then he moved to another, causing Harry to shudder. He couldn't tell if the sensation was good or bad, it just felt weird. Like someone was touching him but not at the same time.

"This one is as well." Then to a third and fourth. "These two are connected to you core, your power." Harry shivered, not entirely from the touch, but from the information, was the binding damaging his magic? Was it why he sometimes still had problems with accidental magic, while the others his age had outgrown them.

Malfoy reached for a fifth. "This one, I'm almost positive influences your mind."

The weird sensation of having the webs touched as cause Harry to get frustrated and he was tempted to shout a Malfoy to stop but he also wanted to hear more, so he could understand just what had been done to him.

The blonde stopped and studied the last two threads. "These as well."

The blonde looked offended that someone could have done this. It was that look, the look of disgust on Malfoy's face that caused the impact of it all to hit him because right in front of him was a Slytherin, a student whose father followed Voldemort, someone who was cruel and a bully, and that someone was disgusted with what was done to him. How horrible would something have to be to offend a Malfoy?

Harry swayed on his feet as the world spun. He felt someone catch him as his legs gave out.

His mind raced as he tried to figure out why Dumbledore would do this, because there was no doubt that his headmaster had done it. He was the only with access to him and the power to do it. But why? Harry was already on his side, with Voldemort killing his parents. He had already resigned himself that this war would come down to him and Voldemort, so what game was the headmaster playing.

"Why can't we break them?" he whispered, trying to fight against the spinning room and urge to be sick.

"Because Potter," and he jumped because he hadn't realized that Malfoy was that close, in fact the blonde was holding him. Through blurry eyes he realized him and Malfoy were sitting on the floor, the blonde behind him, arms wrapped around him and he's back against the other's chest.

It wasn't what he was expecting he blushed, and tried to push away, but his legs had at some point turned to jelly and he fell right back into Malfoy's arms.

The blonde huffed from the impacted but for once the Slytherin didn't mock him, just tightened his hold and continued talking, like nothing happened.

"First, they are weakening, and I think they have been since we came back. That would explain your moods and why your tired all the time. Your magic is all over the place trying to compensate for the changes. Second, you're not used to your full power, if we break them now, you will have to relearn just about everything, and that could be dangerous with us about to go to Hogwarts.

"Third, your inheritance, if we break that now, you will be hit with a lot of changes at once, and I'm not sure how you will handle them. I think for now we should break only the ones on your mind, let the rest slowly break themselves so you have time to adjust, time to relearn everything slowly as they come instead of all at once. I believe it would be better for you."

"What kind of changes?" Harry asked, because he understood what the blonde was saying but this whole inheritance thing was freaking him out a little, he had never heard of it before and had no idea what to expect from it.

"Depends on what you are," the blonde replied.

Harry sighed, because of course it couldn't be something simple that could just be answered when he wanted.

"Fine," he said pushing himself away from the blonde again. This time his legs held.

He looked at the three Goblins, who had been silent throughout all of Malfoy's talking.

"Can you break just those three?" he asked.

The goblins looked at each other and then back at him, they nodded together.

He should have felt relieved but his stomach was twisting and he was trying hard not to freak out. What difference should he expect, not just from the whole inheritance thing but the headmaster had spells around his mind, would he be different?

He didn't notice he was panicking until a hand wrapped around his arm and he was pulled towards another body, "Breath." Malfoy's voice was soft and he almost laughed through his panic because it was something so strange to him. Malfoy soft, gentle like, helping him.

Then he did laugh because here he was stuck in a different time, with a supposed enemy, and yet that person was helping him, and the weirdest part, Harry was listening to him and believing him. He never once doubted any of the information the blonde shared and he was trusting his judgement on not breaking some of the spells.

He should be worried about Malfoy using this against him but instead he was clinging to the blonde like a lifeline, using the other's steady heart beat to ground himself, to stop the building panic he felt spreading inside, and he wasn't sure if he regretted it, because for the first time in months he felt he found someone to trust again.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10:**

_Harry's POV_

Three days later:

He hadn't slept the night before, he was pretty sure that Malfoy hadn't either. Not that they talked at all during the long night but the blonde had been too stiff laying on the bed, never relaxing, no tossing and no turning, which told Harry that the blonde never fell asleep.

He knew they were both nervous because today they would finally be returning to Hogwarts.

"We have to get up," he heard Malfoy mutter from next to him.

"Are we allowed to change our minds?" he asked back, even as he pushed away the blanket and got out of the bed. He heard Malfoy mumble something but didn't catch the words.

They spent the next hour slowly moving around the room, getting changed and packing all their belongings into their new trunks. Malfoy then shrunk them, so they could be placed in the pocket of their robes. He didn't speak much, truth was his throat was dry and he wasn't sure words would find their way out if he tried, and he was grateful because the blonde seemed to sense it, because he didn't try and make him talk.

His head started feeling light as they left the Leaky Caldron and headed down towards Gringotts. The goblins had acquired a Portkey that would drop them off just outside the school gates, where they were to meet their escort and be shown into the school.

"Do you think they will sort us in front of everyone?" he asked in a panicked voice as they walked.

"Probably," Malfoy said looking back over his shoulder at him. When he didn't say anything else the blonde raided his brow, but Harry just shook his head and looked down at the ground.

He had been freaking out of the idea of being sorted again, he knew the hat had wanted to place him in Slytherin in his first year, what if this time, it did? What would he do? What would his parents think? Not that they would know it was him.

Thump!

He slammed right into someone.

"Shit," he said as he caught himself from falling.

"Really, P…Evan?" Malfoy said turning around. Thankfully it was the blond he had ran into, and not someone else. He sighed.

"Sorry, Mal…" A twitch of the blonde's mouth stopped the words, "Luke," he corrected. That was going to be hard to get into the habit of.

"Misters Hallow and Ellis," Grimmhook said, and wow Harry hadn't even realized the reason the blonde stopped walking was because they were outside the bank. He shook his head and walked around Malfoy.

"Grimmhook," he said tilting his head, "nice to see you again." The goblin gave him a small satisfied smile.

"This is your portkey," he said, holding out an old piece of parchment.

"You will both need to be holding it and it will transport you to the school." Harry felt his stomach drop, he hated travelling by these things. Why couldn't they just take a car or train to the school.

Malfoy didn't miss his hesitation because the blonde bumped into him, shoving him towards both the goblin and the portkey. He sighed tightening one hand around his wand and sticking his other out to grab the paper. He saw Malfoy do the same.

Then he squeezed his eyes closed as the sensation of being sucked through a straw hit him and then he was falling. He felt his body hit the soft grass and he let out a breath. He stayed there long enough for the unsettling feeling in his stomach to get better. Then he opened his eyes.

Only to yelp at the sight of a hand in front of his face.

"Need help?" a new voice asked.

"Thanks," he said reaching up and taking the hand. The person grabbed his hand and pulled him to his feet with surprising strength.

"You really can't stay on your feet, can you?" he heard Malfoy ask from behind him. He turned to glare at the other boy, but Malfoy just smirked.

"Are you okay?" asked the person who helped him up.

"Ye…" he started as he turned to again thank whoever it was. But the air in his lungs disappeared because he knew that face. It was a younger less tired, less sad but he knew that face.

"Pro…" he started again only to stop.

"He's fine," he heard Malfoy say with an exaggerated sigh, saving him from saying anything stupid.

The young man in front of him, looked him over as if making sure then nodded.

"Well, I'm Remus," he said sticking his hand out to Harry. "The headmaster asked me to show you into the main hallway. The first years will be waiting there to be sorted. I believe he wanted to sort you two first. Please follow me."

He had shaken Remus' hand, and he hadn't wanted to let go. He wanted to shout out that he knew him and that there was so much the man needed to know but he bit the inside of his lip and kept his mouth closed because he knew no matter how badly he wanted to warn the man he couldn't.

He didn't move as Remus turned away and stared heading inside the large gates just outside the school.

"Isn't that…" Malfoy started to say, and Harry spun around faster than he thought possible and covered the other's mouth. Bring one finger to his ear and then pointing at Lupin's retreating back. He watched as the blonde's eyes widen and then he nodded as understanding hit him. Then he removed his hand and they both started following the other student.

Malfoy stayed close to his side as they walked up the grounds and into the school. He wasn't sure if it was to make sure he didn't say anything to the Gryffindor they were following or if it was because he was just as nervous as Harry. Whichever it was, he found he was grateful.

Remus left them at the same stairs he had first walked up with Ron on his very first day at Hogwarts. The stairs where empty, meaning hopefully that they had arrived before the first years.

He looked around, it felt strange to be standing here in the same spot waiting to be once again sorted. He wondered if this time it would be different? And also wondered how different things would have been if all those years ago, he had shaken the blonde's hand instead of letting Ron's voice rattle around in his head about how cruel and hateful Slytherins where.

He leaned against the stone railing.

"What's Slytherin like?" he asked the blonde, not looking at him.

"What?" He almost looked up, tempted to see if the look on the other kid's face matched the surprise in his voice.

"What's it like?" he asked, fidgeting with his robe. "Not the dorms or the common room, but the other students?"

"Why?" Malfoy asked, sounding more normal.

This time he did look up. "Because you're different," he said, trying to search his mind for the right way to work this. "When I first met you, you were stuck up, self-centered and mean." He took a breath, "All these years, we argued and fought and standing here now, I don't know why. Because you aren't that person, and I don't know when that changed. How did I miss that change?" he asked with a groan. "Was I just so caught in what I thought you should have been, a pureblood Slytherin, a dark wizard, that I missed what you actually are?"

Malfoy's eyes widened and then he closed his eyes and shook his head.

"I'm not nice, Potter." Then he watched as the blonde's shoulders sagged, "But I'm not cruel,"

His eyes opened and glared at him, "and I'm not a dark Wizard."

"Slytherin isn't what people think," the blonde went one. "We come off standoffish because we tend to stick to our own.], and why wouldn't we, people expect us to be exactly what you just said, cruel, mean, dark, very few are willing to see past the rumors." Malfoy stood straighter.

"Slytherins are intelligent, clever and are survivors but people don't like to tell their children that, because then they wouldn't have a target to hate." Harry could hear the anger in the other teen's voice and he wondered how much the rumors bothered him.

"The hat almost put me in Slytherin," he mumbled out before he thought about it. The blonde's eyes widened, and he took a few steps to Harry.

"What?" he asked loudly.

Harry swallowed, "In first year, the hat told me I could do great things in Slytherin."

"Why weren't you?" Malfoy asked again moving closer, a shiver worked its way along his spine and the way the blonde was moving towards him.

"I asked," _well begged,_ he thought, "it not to."

Malfoy threw his head back and laughed. "You talked the sorting hat out of placing in the house it wanted to put you in."

When the blonde stopped laughing he moved to stand next to Harry.

"Is that why your freaking out so much?" he asked. "You're worried the hat will place you in Slytherin instead of Gryffindor?" The sound of lots of feet walking towards them caught both of their attention as they turned to face the sound.

"Potter," Malfoy whispered. "You know you want to be in Gryffindor, because of your parents. So just do what you did last time." Then the blonde moved away to stand across the long stairway.

Harry wanted to thank him, but the first years worked their way up the stairs and in-between them.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11:**

_Harry's POV_

He could feel eyes on him as the first years seem to notice both him and Malfoy, but so far none of them got up the courage to speak to the obviously older boys, and Harry wasn't really in the mood to talk to anyone. He was thinking over what Malfoy said, would it really be that easy, just ask the hat to place him in Gryffindor again.

"Good evening." His eyes snapped open at the sound of all to familiar voice. "My name is Professor McGonagall, if you would please follow me, we can get the sorting started. Mister Ellis and Mister Hallow please come to the front as you will be sorted first." Harry shuffled through the small army of first years to stand at the front and relaxed a little when Malfoy moved

to stand next to him.

Harry couldn't help but feel a swell of happiness as they entered the Great Hall, seeing the familiar magicked sky and floating candles along with all the students seated at the four long tables. Made him feel like he was home, even if it wasn't truly the same, it was still Hogwarts.

He tried not to look over at the Gryffindor table as he walked towards the front of the room, where he could see the hat, resting on a stool but he did. It didn't take him long to spot Remus, and he stumbled when he saw the black-haired man whispering excitedly in the werewolf's ear.

Sirius must have felt his gaze on him, because his young godfather looked his way and gave him a wink when he saw Harry staring at him. The feeling of longing that small stupid gesture caused had him sucking in a breath and he forced himself to move his eyes along the table.

He easily found the two people he was dreading and dying to see, on the right side of Remus sat a dark-haired boy with glasses talking to a red headed girl. She had her hear thrown back in a laugh and the boy's face looked like he was watching the greatest thing in the world.

He wasn't aware he had stopped walking until a hand wrapped around his arm and he was tugged forward. He ripped his eyes away from his parents and snuck a quick look at Malfoy. The blonde's face was smooth and neutral like nothing about this was affecting him at all, but the tight grip on Harry's arm said otherwise.

They finally reached the end of the long walk, maybe it was only long to him, but it had felt longer than it should have.

"Mister Hallow," Professor McGonagall said. "If you would?" She waved her hand towards the hat, and with a small bit of dread, Harry felt Malfoy let go of his arm. Then he watched as the blonde walked up and sat on the stool.

It was just like first year, McGonagall lowered the hat and before it even touched Malfoy's head it shouted out, "Slytherin." The blonde smirked and Harry gave him a grin. Then he watched as the Slytherin made his way over to his table.

"Mister Ellis, your turn." He nodded to the professor and sat on the stool. He tried not to show his panic as she lowered the hat on to his head.

"_Interesting…." _He heard the hat's voice in his head and he was reminded of his first year.

"_Please Gryffindor_." He thought back to the hat_, "I need to be in there."_

"_Are you sure?" _the hat asked. "_You could do great things in Slytherin."_ The familiar words sent shivers down his spine.

"_Yes" _he thought back at the hat determined.

"_Very well," _the hat replied in his mind, the shouted out loud, "Gryffindor!"

Harry shagged in relief and jumped off the stool before the hat could change its mind. He quickly made his way towards his table. A strange feeling hit him as he did. His friends weren't here. He wouldn't sit between Hermione and Neville. Ron wouldn't be across from him muttering about the food or auguring with Ginny about Quidditch. His steps faltered. Where the hell was he supposed to sit?

He looked across the hall towards the Slytherin table. Malfoy had sat at the end next to an older student leaving room for the first years that would soon be joining them. So, he figured he would do the same.

He started moving again, towards the end but an arm reached out and grabbed him.

"Sit with us," an excited voice said, and he was all but dragged down between two bodies.

"Sirius." He recognized Lupin scolding his godfather and he smiled. It was familiar and

reminded him that while his friends and well ex friends weren't here, he wasn't completely alone.

"I'm Sirius," the grey eyed boy that dragged him down said, sticking his hand out."

"Evan," he said shaking the hand.

"So, we've never had a transfer before?" His young godfather raised an eyebrow.

He chuckles. "We," he said pointing out Malfoy, "were homeschooled."

"Really, that must have been hard?" a new voice said, and he looked past Lupin at the green-eyed girl smiling at him. She looked so much prettier then she had in the photos he had seen.

"It…" He cleared his throat, "It wasn't too bad but I'm excited to be here."

"Are you two related?" Sirius asked looking over at Malfoy.

"No?" he answered unsure why it was important.

"Good," the Animagus said softly.

"Good?" he asked.

"Sirius," Remus said in a deep voice. Like he was trying to stop his friend for doing or saying something wrong.

His godfather opened his mouth, but Remus elbowed him. Harry watched as the two men had a silent argument. Then Sirius pushed his food away and left the table. There was a sigh before Remus got up and chased after his friend.

Harry looked at his mother. "What was that?"

She looked at his father and then across the table at Pettigrew. The rat of a man shrugged and then looked at his food.

"His brother is in Slytherin. They don't talk much anymore." James's voice was so different then he had imagined. He always pictured the man sounding something like Sirius but in a weird way his father's voice sounded like him.

"Why don't they talk?" he asked, trying to remember if he had heard this before. He knew Sirius's family had been mad when he was sorted into Gryffindor and that his godfather eventually moved in with his father and grandparents, but he couldn't remember Siri talking about his brother.

Again, his parents exchanged looks.

"With the war, there is a lot of tension between the houses here. Sirius's family is always put in Slytherin. His brother views it as a betrayal that he was placed in Gryffindor instead. And Siri, well he thinks his brother is being blind to the people he follows." His father said.

"Oh," was all he could think to say.

After that he let the conversations around him fade into the background as he ate. He wondered what happened to Sirius's brother. He knew he had to have died, otherwise his godfather would have been challenged as head of the Black family. He wondered if he made it home, if he should talk to him about it.

When the dinner was done, James walked besides him telling him about the castle and the tower they lived him. He laughed when he was told about a misadventure his father and Remus had on the moving stairs in their first year. It was nice, and he felt a pain in his chest when he thought about it ending, when they found their way home. The conversation felt sadder after that.

When he was shown into the common room, he asked where his bed was. Stating that he was exhausted and wanted to sleep.

He didn't even change before he crawled into bed. Unaware of uneasy amber eyes following him.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

_Remus's POV_

Remus was listening to James and Sirius debate about using a spell to change the hair color of all the girls in their house. Sirius thought it would be brilliant, but James didn't want Lily mad at him. He groaned at his two best friends already dreading the detention they were sure to get afterwards.

"Mr. Lupin," Headmaster Dumbledore called from behind them. He groaned again trying to think of what they had done recently that could get them in trouble.

"Yes, Professor?" he asked, stopping to turn and look at the man. His ears picked up his two friends sneaking off down the hallways. _Cowards_, he thought with no real heat.

"We have two new students that will be arriving at the front gate in a half hour. I would like for you to greet them and show them into the Great Hall to be sorted." The old man smiled at him.

Remus shifted his feet, he would much rather go off and see what his two idiotic friends were doing but knew that he couldn't say no to the headmaster.

"Of course, Professor. I'll head that way now."

"Thank you, my boy," the headmaster said and then turned and walked away. It was only after the headmaster was far enough away that he let out a sigh and started walking towards the front of the school.

It wasn't that he minded doing things for the professors or helping other students out. It was just over the last few years it seemed to become expected of him. People were always seeking him out, and when they asked for his help it, their tone implied that he wouldn't be able to say no. James kept telling him that he had to start saying no or people were going to keep taking advantage of him.

He knew he should listen to his friend but somehow every time he went to say no, he agreed instead. He sighed again.

As he approached the front door, he felt the wolf in him raise its hackles. He slowed his step and when the wolf let out a growl in the back of his mind he turned around wand in hand and pointed it at the student following him.

Lucius Malfoy sneered at him but did not raise his own wand.

"Why are you following me?" he asked.

"I am not," the blonde spoke as if it was beneath him to do such a thing and Remus had to bite the inside of his lip not to throw out a comeback Siri would be proud of. Instead he lowered his wand and waited.

The two of them stood them staring for a few moments, Remus silently cursing the blonde because he was sure he was now late to meet the two students he was supposed to be showing in, and he really hoped the two young kids didn't wander off.

Finally, Malfoy appeared to grow bored because he just turned around and walked away.

Remus's wolf, Moony, growled at the man's back. They both knew the man was following them, him and his friend Snape had both taken turns watching him for months now. It made him uneasy, he was sure they knew what he was but neither of them said a word. Just kept following him.

He let out a frustrated breath and rushed out of the school.

When he reached the front gate, he had a moment of panic that the two kids weren't there but then there was a buzz in the air that had Moony snarling. Then two large bodies came into view.

The first landed proudly on his feet. While the second hit the ground hard enough to have the air knocked out of him. Remus ears picked up the grunt that followed. He quickly moved to help the young man up.

"Need help?" he asked reaching down.

"Thanks" the kid said, reaching out to take his hand. There was tingle along of Remus's hand.

"Are you okay?" he asked, and almost dropped the younger man's hand when a wave of protectiveness washed over him. Moony didn't growl at the brown-haired boy instead it seemed almost playful. Like this was a packmate he wanted to run with.

Twice the kid, started to talk but shut his mouth over the words. His companion quickly answered for him but Remus's wolf was pushing him to check over the other student. He shook his head and stuck out his hand, "well, I'm Remus."

Moony whimpered at him for not doing what it wanted, but it wasn't the full moon, so Remus was in control. He shoved the wolf down.

"The headmaster asked me to show you into the main hallway. The first years will be waiting there to be sorted. I believe he wanted to sort you two first. Please follow me." He walked away quickly tried to understand what the hell was going on with his wolf and his mind was always going over that these two new students where a lot older than first years.

"Isn't that…" he heard one of them mutter behind him and almost stopped to see what was

going on, and asked but he told himself he didn't want to know and kept moving. Keeping his ears open to make sure the two followed behind him.

Once the three of them made it to the main staircase outside of the Great Hall. Remus quickly took off. He knew he should have probably stayed and given the two boys a welcome speech or something of the like, but the truth was he was way too confused at the moment to even try.

He needed to talk to Sirius or James. They might have an idea about what was going on. His two friends weren't hard to find once he entered the Great Hall. James was flirting with Lily who for her part looked a little bored, but she kept smiling at James. Remus knew it was an act. Every time the redhead acted a little bored with his friend, James would do something outrageous to get her attention. He shook his head and felt himself calm down a little at the familiarity of the room.

Sirius seemed to be arguing with Peter, who sat across from him. He sighed. The two always seemed to be fighting lately. He quietly slipped into the empty spot between Sirius and James, and felt his wolf relax. The scents of his friends hung heavy in the air and the smell of pack calmed his wolf. It also helped ground him. He sucked in a deep breath and let himself calm down. He knew thinking about things rationally was more likely to lead to answers then panicking. Sirius elbowed him in the ribs to get his attention.

"What did the old man want?" his friend whispered. Remus rolled his eyes, a lecture on respecting powerful wizards on the tip of his tongue but he bit it back, because now was the perfect time to tell his friends about the two new kids.

"He wanted me to show in two new students. They have to be transfers because they look about our age." That caught both Lily and James attention who both leaned in to hear more.

"We've never had a transfer student before," Lily whispered thoughtfully.

"That's not all," he said, lowering his voice. "The one, Moony liked him." He felt Sirius stiffen next to him, Lily's eyes widened and James raised a brow. He sighed. "Not like that. He thought he was _pack_," he whispered the last word harshly. Like he was angry at the word and not just his wolf.

His friends all exchanged looks and he felt Sirius relax next to him. Remus took a second to give his friend a look but Siri looked over him towards James.

"You think he's a wolf?" Peter asked from across the table, and Remus felt his stomach drop. _That couldn't be it? Could it? Wouldn't his wolf feel territorial if another werewolf showed up?_

"I..." he opened his mouth, a slow build of panic setting in. The front door opened and in walked a wave of first years. He tracked the movement of the two taller boys that were hanging towards the back of the mass of smaller kids.

"The headmaster wouldn't have brought another wolf here, at least not without telling you first," Lily said suddenly, and Remus wanted to hug her, because she was right. He let out a breath and felt Sirius sling an arm over his shoulder.

"It's okay Moony" his friend whispered in his ear.

He tried to pay attention as Professor McGonagall started talking but he couldn't. Sure, he wasn't worried about the boy being a wolf anymore. Lily was right. The headmaster wouldn't risk putting two werewolves together without at least talking about it, but that didn't answer why he felt protective of the other kid or why he smelt like pack. He felt Siri's arm tightened and looked up to see the boy was sitting down on the stool.

The hall fell silently for a moment and then the hat shouted out Gryffindor and Remus's stomach sank. Why couldn't the guy be placed in another house? That would give him time to figure things out before he did something stupid and outed himself.

"Sit with us," Sirius voice rang out loud and clear a moment later. He didn't even have time to glare at his friend before a body was squeezed in next to him. He smelt the shock on the new kid at being pulled down, and he was a little surprised when the kid went willingly and accepted Siri's manhandling.

"Sirius," he tried in a firm voice to remind his friend that not everyone liked being dragged around. Not that he listened.

"I'm Sirius." He watched as his friend stuck his hand out all smiling and playful. To his credit the new kid didn't seem fazed just shook Siri's hand and gave his name. "Evan."

"So, we've never had a transfer before?" Sirius went on. Causing most of them to groan at his lack of subtlety.

Evan just chuckled, "We were homeschooled," he said pointing out the other boy, but Remus' ears rang with the lie. He could hear it in Evan's heartbeat the way it skipped and the sour smell that came off him when he lied. It told Remus that it was a lie and that the young man didn't like lying.

"Really, that must have been hard?" he heard Lily ask as she leaned over James to talk to Evan.

"It…" he cleared his throat. "It wasn't too bad, but I'm excited to be here." Again, there was a sour smell in the air and Remus tried not to react to it.

"Are you two related?" Sirius asked, and suddenly it didn't matter to him that the kid was lying because he knew what was about to happen. He shifted to look at his friend, hoping that this conversation wouldn't go the way he imagined it would.

"No?" Evan said sounding confused.

"Good," Sirius said. Moony whimpered and Remus felt himself wanting to wrap Sirius in a hug. When ever his friend talked about his family, it made him sad and angry and neither Remus or Moony liked that.

"Good?"

"Sirius," Remus said in a deep voice, trying to get his friend to stop. Whoever this was didn't need to know their secrets or background. More importantly, Siri didn't need to go over this again.

When his friend went to open his mouth, he elbowed him. Hoping that was a clear sign to stop. Siri glared at him and he glared right back. Then his friend looked away. He watched as Sirius pushed his food aside and stomped away.

He sighed and got up to follow him. He hated that Sirius's family treated him the way he did, and he hated that his friend always seemed to blame himself.

He rushed after his friend and when he was close enough he wrapped a hand around Siri's arm and using his extra strength pulled his friend to a stop.

Sirius spun around and glared at him.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I just hate the way they make you feel."

"Fuck them," Sirius snarled, just a hint of Padfoot showing. "I was just trying to warn the kid. His friend will turn his back on him just like Regulus did." Remus pulled Sirius into a hug.

"We can't know that," he whispered. He felt his friend scoff at him, but he didn't pull away from

the hug.

After a moment they pulled apart.

"So, what do you think of Evan?" Sirius asked with a troubling smirk.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13 **

_Harry's POV_

Harry woke up the next morning feeling better than he had in weeks. The feel of the familiar blankets and bed, the soft purr in the air of the castle's magic, told him he was home. Sure, it wasn't the same, but it was enough for him to feel safe.

He let himself linger in bed for a few moments before he reached out to the table next to his bed to grab his glasses and wand. A quick _Tempus_ told him that he still had plenty of time to get breakfast.

So, he got up and got dressed.

He did so quietly because he could make out two bodies still in their beds. He couldn't tell who they were but judging by the stories he had been told and what he knew of the adult versions, he was betting it was his father and godfather and that Remus had already snuck off to study. He smiled and made his way out of their dorm room.

He was right in his guess, because when he entered the common room. Remus was laying across one of the couches, reading. He was surprised to see that Lily was sitting on the floor below him, writing away on a piece of parchment. Both stopped when he entered the room. His mother gave him a smile and went back to her work, but Remus' kept his eyes on him. Harry felt his heart beat a little faster, a small part of him feeling like a prey under the gaze. He forced a smile and hurried out of the common room. Trying to figure out why Remus was looking at him like that.

It scared him. In the years since he had met the werewolf he had never before felt like a prey around him. Harry had to stop and remind himself that this was a younger Remus and maybe the wolf was feeling territorial of someone moving into his space. He sighed, maybe Draco would know if that was something he should be worried about.

He wasn't paying much attention to his surroundings, so he yelped when a hand shot out and pulled him into an empty classroom.

"Shut up," Malfoy hissed at him.

"What the hell, Malfoy?" he hissed back.

"I wanted to speak to you before breakfast," the blond shrugged.

"You couldn't have just asked?" he asked rubbing the spot on his arm where he had been grabbed.

"Not as much fun," Malfoy muttered.

Harry rolled his eyes.

"What did you want?"

"You have to show me this place we are supposed to meet. I figured we could do it before breakfast. We can also set a specific day and time." Harry sighed.

"Fine. Come on."

He had decided to show Malfoy the Room of Requirements a few days before when they were discussing meeting up somewhere private. After all, sitting in the library talking about time travel and the future wasn't a smart plan. The best place Harry could think of was the same room him and his ex-friends had used for D.A. meetings. At first he felt a little guilty about showing it to anyone else but then he remembered his friends weren't really his friends. So, his guilt slipped away.

"You okay?" Malfoy whispered low from behind him.

"Fine," he whispered back.

Then didn't speak again until they reached the 7th floor.

"Here," he said and enjoyed the confused look on Malfoy's face. When he found they were standing in front of a wall and not a room.

Chuckling softly, Harry closed his eyes and walked back and forth 3 times, thinking "_We need somewhere safe, private, and comfortable to meet, to find a way back home." _ On his third time a door appears, and he heard Malfoy gasp.

"This is where you were hiding," the blond muttered out as he moved past to open the door.

"Kind of," Harry said following behind him.

"Kind of?" Malfoy asked, looking back at him.

"It changes. Depending on what you need," Harry said, looking around the room. It was kind of simple, two long couches and two armchairs, set around a large circular table. Candles and lamps set around the room lighting it up in a bright warm light. To Harry surprise the far back wall was covered in bookshelves. There had to be a couple of hundred books lining the shelves and Harry wondered if they would be useful in their search.

"And what did you need?" Malfoy asked moving to study the shelves.

"Somewhere safe, for us to research a way home," he muttered dropping down on one of the couches, he took in the rest of the room. There was a small bathroom off to the right and a few more shelves along the remain walls filled with everything from caldrons to quills.

It would be perfect for what they needed.

"Malfoy," he called over after letting the blonde look over the books.

He heard the Slytherin sigh before he turned and walked over to the sitting area.

"How often should we meet?" he asked once the other student had sat down.

"Not every day," Malfoy stated. "People would grow suspicious."

"But often, right?" he asked, trying to hide the worry in his voice. Because he wasn't sure how long they would be trapped here but the sooner they got home the sooner the better. His life might be a mess right now, but he still had people counting on him. Just because Ron, Hermione and the Headmaster turned out to be liars didn't mean everyone else was. Plus, he needed to get back for Sirius. Even if he had no one else he had his godfather.

"Twice a week?" Malfoy asked.

Harry nodded his head, already planning on sneaking into the room more often than that.

"What days? Time?" Malfoy asked, sounding a little frustrated.

He opened his mouth but slammed it back down. They hadn't gotten their timetables yet. So, he didn't even know what classes he had and when. He sighed.

"I think we are going to have to meet back here again tonight with our schedules to set up a time."

"Fine," Malfoy muttered. "Let's go eat."

They got up and walked out of the room. Harry stopped right outside the door.

"Hold on," he muttered. Then closed his eyes and thought at the castle.

"_Please save this room for us." _He was about to pull away when another thought came to him. _Password should be Ferret," _ he thought with a chuckle.

"What are you doing?" Malfoy asked watching him with a suspicious look.

"I asked the castle to remember that room. So, we can always get back into it. Even leave stuff there for later," he said and started walking away. He heard Malfoy's hurried steps as the blonde rushed to catch up to him.

"And just how do I get in the room if you aren't there," Malfoy asked.

"Oh, just walk in front of that wall three times thinking about that room," he said sending the other student a smile over his shoulder, speeding up his steps.

"Potter," Malfoy hissed trying to catch up to him again. "What else?" Harry had to stop himself from laughing because of course Malfoy had figured out he was trying to put some space between them and seeking out a more populated area.

"What?" he asked, trying to sound innocent.

He heard the blonde growl. As Harry rounded a corner he saw the doors to the Great Hall and slowed his steps.

He waited for Malfoy to get close enough before he turned around with a smirk on his face.

"Oh, I set a password."

"And what is the password?" the blonde asked sounding apprehensive.

"Ferret." Then Harry all but sprinted into the Great Hall.

"EVAN!" he heard Malfoy shout behind him. He laughed out loud and darted over the Gryffindor table, ignore the looks he got for his laugh or the ones that were sent towards the Slytherin as he stormed into the Hall.

Harry sent the blonde another grin and sat down at the table. He could tell that Malfoy was tempted to stomp over and yell at him but either his pureblood manners stopped him from making a scene or he was already plotting his revenge. Because the blonde sent him a glare then moved to sit at his own houses table.

"What did you do?" a quiet voice asked, causing Harry to look up. He hadn't noticed that Pettigrew was here, and his good mood vanished at the sight of the other student.

"A prank," he muttered and started scraping food from the center of the table onto his plate.

"What kind of prank?" a different voice asked. Causing him to look up behind him as James, Sirius and Remus joined him at the table.

"Oh, just set a password of something of his," he said with a shrug, hoping they bought his slight lie.

"And he's pissed why?" James asked.

"Oh, the password is something of a joke," he said with a smile.

"Nice," his godfather said, sitting next to him.

"So, how come you transferred in so late?" Remus asked from the other side of Sirius.

"We wanted to learn at a school," he said, looking down at his food. "Get a better handle on stuff before we head out into the world." He hated lying and knew that he should meet their eyes and sound confident. So, they didn't think anything was off about what he was saying but he just kept thinking of the fact that he was lying to his father, his godfather, and a person who was like a father to him. Something inside him didn't like it.

"You okay?" James asked, and Harry wanted to cry a little because he was already recognizing the voice.

"I'm fine" he said, finally looking away from his bacon to look at his father.

"Homesick?" Lily asked as she sat down next to Pettigrew. He looked up at her and something inside him broke. Watching his mother sit there next to the man who would betray her. He shoved his food away and rushed to his feet.

He knew he shouldn't, but he ran out of the room. Needed to get as far away as he could. He made it out the door before he slammed into another person.

He stumbled back and tripped. He hit the ground hard.

"Sorry. I'm sorry," he said, trying to get to his feet.

A hand appeared in front of him and he took it. Once on his feet he started running his hands down his robes trying to smooth them and get any dirt off them that might have found its way there from the floor.

"Are you alright?" the quiet voice asked.

Harry looked up, the tall student in front of him ranging of familiarity, and it took his brain a moment to figure it out. "Yeah. Thank you." He felt weird saying something nice to Snape. But the kid in front of him had helped him up and asked if he was okay. Something Snape in his time would never have done.

"Are you crying?" Snape asked.

"No," Harry snapped.

Snape took a step back, there was a hurt expression on his face. Something that Harry was sure he would never have seen on the cold-hearted older version. It made him feel guilty.

"Sorry," he whispered. "Thank you again for helping me." Before Snape could say anything, he pushed passed him and hurriedly walked outside.

He found a bench outside and sat down.

He wanted to scold himself for running away like he had but he knew that if he hadn't he might have done something else. Something worse. Like punch Pettigrew in the face. He also knew that he had to get a handle on his emotions because he couldn't do that again. Evan Ellis had no reason not to like the rat, and if he kept acting like he did the other would get suspicious. He was already getting strange looks from Remus, he couldn't afford to draw that much attention to himself.

He sighed and dropped his head into his hands.

A short time later, someone sat down next to him on the bench.

"Go away," he muttered expecting Malfoy.

"Nope." Sirius's voice startled him.

He snapped his head up.

"Sorry thought you were Luke."

His godfather tilted his head, then nodded. "Your friend started to follow you but for some reason," a weird flat tone crept into his voice. "He saw me chasing after you. He handed me your schedule and then walked off."

Harry snorted. Malfoy in his own way was trying to help. He sent someone he knew Harry trusted to talk to him. It was strangely nice of the pureblood but also not what he needed at the moment.

"You don't seem bothered, that he sent me instead of coming himself?" Sirius questioned, "I thought you were friends?" This time Harry did laugh. Which earned him a curious look from his godfather.

"Luke is well Luke," he said, trying to think of a way to describe their weird friendship. "We are all we have, here I mean. So, he cares. But his family is…"

"Traditional?" Sirius offered him.

He nodded his head. "Yeah. They don't really show emotion. So, he tends to do things in weird ways. He probably figured I would yell at him to get lost, if he came. Which I guess I would have. So, he sent you."

"Why not just tell me to get lost?" Sirius asked.

Harry lowered his head again, he wanted to say because you're family.

"Because I don't want to seem rude," he said instead.

"Evan, if you want to be alone. You can tell me to get lost," Sirius said calmly.

Harry fought the urge to pull into himself.

"Thank you," he said, forcing his body to relax.

"So, classes?" he asked sticking his hand out for his timetable. Thankfully Sirius allowed the subject change and handed him schedule.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14:**

_Harry's POV_

Later that day Harry entered Potions. It was his last class of the day and a double and shared of course with Slytherin. He wondered briefly if he would be better at this time around because Malfoy wasn't his enemy anymore and that hopefully meant the blond wasn't going to be sabotaging his potions this year. Plus, it wasn't taught by Snape.

He looked around the room. Sirius and Remus were partnered up, as were his parents. Pettigrew sat alone, but Harry knew there wasn't a chance in hell he would partner with the rat. So, instead he tried to find another empty seat. There was a table, behind Remus and Sirius that was unoccupied. He quickly rushed to take it, hoping that someone else would join him before the class started. He really didn't want the teacher to put him and Peter together if they ended up being the last two singles.

He put his wand into his pocket and grabbed his bag, pulling out his potions book. There was movement next to him and he looked up to see who his partner was. He choked on air when Snape sat down next to him.

'_No…. no…. no…' _his brain shouted.

It wasn't fair that he was finally in a potions class not taught by the greasy git only to end up with him as a partner. He quickly looked around the room trying to spot Malfoy. Of course the blonde was grinning at him.

_Oh god, that arsehole, this was payback for the password._

He felt a small bit of satisfaction when Malfoy was joined at his table by the elder Malfoy. The younger floundering for a second before getting his face blank, pretending he wasn't freaking out.

Then the professor entered the classroom and Harry knew he was stuck. The Professor, Slughorn or something of the like, walked up to the board and started writing out instructions. The man turned once down, eyes roaming over the class. His gaze stopped on Harry and Snape and the man seemed confused but didn't say anything.

Harry quickly copied down the instructions. He could hear Snape moving next to him, but he didn't let his attention wander. He wanted to pass this class. He wanted for once to prove that he wasn't as horrible at potions as everyone said.

When the Professor instructed them to get their ingredients. Harry looked up at Snape, ready to ask the other man if he wanted to get them or if he wanted Harry to go but the Slytherin was already moving towards the small storage room.

Harry sighed.

He grabbed the cauldron and filled it halfway with water then placed it over the fire. The heat set to low, like the instructions said, and prayed he didn't mess this up. Snape returned placing the ingredients on their table. This time he looked at Harry.

Harry tried not to shift under the gaze.

"Cut the Nettle into thirds," the other student said handing him a plant and then a root. "Then slice the ginger into thin slivers." Deciding it was better to just go with it. Harry took the offered ingredients and did as he was told.

"Why aren't you sitting with Pettigrew?" The question came out of nowhere and he almost lost a finger when he started and looked at his lab partner.

"Does it matter?" he asked, pushing the last of the ginger towards Snape. The other student looked it over and nodded.

"Cut this in half and then add it to the cauldron," Snape said, then added, "and it matters when you would rather partner with a Slytherin then one of your own housemates."

"It's nothing," Harry said quietly cutting the thing in half. Then he dropped the strange berry thing into the cauldron. The potion inside bubbled and turned a bright red. He looked up at Snape hoping that was what was supposed to happen. The Slytherin didn't sneer or complain so Harry took it as a win.

"I think you underestimate how your housemates will see this," Snape muttered. Harry stopped and looked at the taller student.

"What do you mean?" Though he knew. Well he knew how his housemates in his time would have acted. If one of them had sat with a Slytherin. They would have assumed it was a prank at first but if nothing happened they might think it's strange and some would probably get offended. _Dammit._ He hadn't thought about that. Truth was he would take Snape over Pettigrew anyway, and wasn't that sad.

"Pettigrew will be insulted, and his friends will take his side."

He sighed. "I'll be fine."

He heard Snape snort. "You have not been on the other side of one of their pranks. It would be wise to apologize and plead ignorance."

He didn't know how to respond to that, so he didn't.

Though his mind did wander over some of the things he knew about his father's pranks on Snape. He knew that James had endangered the other student a few times. It was probably why the man hated both of them so much. He hated it, that he wanted to confront his father about the way he treated the Slytherin but how he also wanted to ignore it and just get to know James.

The same James that might prank him now. They wouldn't really? He tried to reason. After all he was new, he shouldn't know about the hostilely among the different house. So, pranking him for not sitting next to Peter didn't seem fair. Though nothing in his life ever was.

He sighed, raising his hand to drop some strange leaves in the bubbling caldron but his wrist was seized by another strong firm grip.

"_Stop,"_ Snape hissed at him, pulling his arm away from their potion. A wave of something washed over him and he dropped the leaves on the floor. He took a step back from the Slytherin trying to resist the urge to lower his head and apologize.

"I…" he tried but when he looked up at Snape the man had a look in his eyes, they narrowed when Harry met them and the urge to cower or run slammed into him so hard that he actually felt his body start to move.

But then an arm wrapped around him and instead of running or fighting he relaxed a little. It was weird being so keyed up and freaked out and then the second the arm wrapped around him, he felt better. Calmer more relaxed, he leaned against the body and had a strange thought of being home.

"Evan, everything alright?" he heard Remus asked from behind him.

He looked back at the other Gryffindor surprised, he honestly expected it to be Malfoy. He just assumed that Malfoy being the only person he knew or well who knew him that it would have been the blonde coming to help him.

He nodded and looked away.

"You boys okay?" The professor asked coming over to see what was going on.

"Yeah. Sn…Severus saved me from adding the wrong thing," he said, smiling at the man. Not that he felt like smiling. In fact, he was sure if Remus wasn't holding him, he would have already darted out of the classroom because every time he looked at Snape the urge to drop his head grew and he just wanted to get away from it.

There was a brief moment where they all just stood there.

Then Remus removed his arm and Harry had to bite back a disappointed sound. Slughorn moved away next and it was just Harry and Snape. The other student tilted his head a little then shook it and looked away and it was like he could breathe again.

He stayed as far away from Snape as he could during the remainder of class and then bolted the second, he could.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15:**

_Remus's POV_

He hadn't meant to notice the new kid's scent changing, but he had been curious enough when instead of sitting next to Peter he found an empty table behind him and Sirius, that he kept part of his attention on the other kid.

There was a brief smell of something like annoyance when Severus joined him at the table then anger but it quickly faded. Remus wondered if the kid just wanted to work alone. He didn't seem to harbor any ill will towards Snape or other Slytherins, at least not yet. That would probably come the longer he was at the school.

He sighed, stirring the caldron in front of him.

His full attention was brought back to Evan when the other teens scent changed to an interesting mix of longing and worry. He almost turned around to see what the kid was up too, but Sirius was dropping Ivy into their potion and he had to lunge to stop it before it caused their potion to blow up. His friend huffed at him and he had to resist the urge to lecture him on causing trouble in class.

He heard Snape snap out a 'Stop' and suddenly the whole class was paying attention to the back table. He wasn't going to move at first but than a wave of warm vanilla hit him_. Submissive,_ Moony whined and he was moving before the thought of not doing so could cross his mind.

He tried to ignore the overwhelming smell of confusion and fear as he wrapped his arm around Evan.

"Evan, everything alright?" he asked.

He almost gasped when Evan not only relaxed in his arms but leaned into him. Moony however whimpered and urged him to hold the other closer. To protect and comfort him. He swallowed and watched as Evan looked back over his shoulder at him. He took in the other kid surprise and wondered if the brunet had been expecting someone else. Probably Luke but then Evan nodded.

And he had to fight against hist surprise when Evan didn't move away from him.

Remus felt completely lost.

He was holding a submissive, one that hadn't quite presented fully. Which wasn't that strange but the fact that the young man seemed confused about it was. His family should have warned him about an inheritance if he had one and told him what to expect. He wanted to growl because sending a submissive out into the world without knowledge was a sure way for the young man to get hurt.

"You boys okay?" Slughorn asked finally joining them.

Remus almost rolled his eyes at the man.

The man was good at potions but that was it. He had no talent for dealing with students or people really, and Remus wasn't sure if he would know how to handle a developing submissive, but before he could say anything, he felt Evan shift to look at the professor. Still not leaving his arms.

"Yeah. Severus saved me from adding the wrong thing." There was a smile on his face and if Remus couldn't smell how freaked out the brown-haired boy was, he would have believed him.

Slughorn looked over at them but Remus had removed his attention from the man and towards Snape who was eyeing Evan. Remus could see it in his eyes that he was figuring out what Remus already had. Evan was submissive and didn't know, and that he, Remus, had just claimed him as under his protection.

Severus raised his eyes to him and gave a soft nod.

He left himself breathe.

It seemed that the Slytherin was going to respect customs and leave Evan alone. He let his arm drop away and it seemed to break whatever standstill they had fallen into. Slughorn wandered off and Sirius dragged him back towards their table.

After that, the class seemed to fall back into his usual rhythm, the only things off where how Evan kept far away from his partner and how the blonde Slytherin Luke kept looking back and watching Evan.

Remus wondered if the other boy knew what was happening to his friend.

After class, he was walking down one of the hallways towards the library when Sirius appeared beside him. The black-haired boy slipping his arm in between his. Causing Moony to keen in his mind. The damn wolf wanted to come out and play with Padfoot. He pushed him down and looked at Sirius with a raised brow because he was pretty sure his friend was supposed to be headed to quidditch practice.

"So, what was all that about?"

He sighed.

"What was what about?" He asked.

He watched as Sirius rolled his eyes. "In Potions?"

"Nothing," he said. He didn't want to speak of it until he got a chance to speak with Evan.

"Uh huh, sure. That's why Moony was getting all protective," Sirius said pulling them to a stop.

"_Moony?"_ he asked, starting to panic.

Because fuck he hadn't realized his wolf had shown. What if someone had seen. Snape already knew, after the disaster last year but the others didn't and if he outed himself, he would have to leave Hogwarts.

"Shit, breathe Remy."

He felt Sirius move close then arms were wrapping around him. Hugging him. Pulling him in close. His best friends scent surrounded him, causing Moony hummed happily in his mind. It helped him relax. He took a couple of deep breaths, wrapping his own arms around Sirius.

"He didn't show. I just can read you. I can tell when it's good old Remus being protective and when its Moony. Whatever happened set you both off and he wanted to protect Evan," his friend said into his shoulder. Then he felt Sirius start to pull away, he felt Moony wanting to hold him more. Keep him close because he smelt great, like many things that meant home and love to them.

But he let him go.

"You going to tell me?"

"Not yet."

His friend gave him a puppy look and he smiled.

"Let me talk to Evan first."

"Whatever" his friend huffed.

"Where are we headed anyways?" Sirius asked as they started walking again, and Remus shook his head. Only his friend would ditch practice to track him down to ask a question, he could have asked later, but was too impatient to wait. Then not pay attention to where he was being dragged off too.

"Library."

Sirius arm suddenly disappeared, and his friend slowly started to back away from him.

He laughed at the idiot's antics.

"I'm going to go find James," Sirius said before turning around and rushing off down the hall.

He was about to turn his own corner when two whispering voices caught his attention.

"You could talk to Lupin," one said; a male.

There was a sigh.

"He would ask too many questions," another said, and Remus was pretty sure it was Evan.

"So, don't answer them," it was said offhand like it was no big deal. Hinting to Remus that it was most likely a Slytherin, meaning it was probably Luke.

"Than why would he answer mine?" Evan snapped.

"Because he's a professor?" Luke said sounding a little amused.

_Professor? _Remus sighed, wondering if this was a new rumor or joke going around about him. He wouldn't doubt it and he would even bet it was his friends who started it.

"Not yet, he isn't," Evan said, sounding strangely disappointed.

"_Great now everyone thought he was going to grow up to teach,_" he thought with an eye roll.

"Fine," Luke snapped back. "But he will be. It's like him to lecture and teach."

Remus groaned as he heard Evan chuckle.

"Imagine that conversation, hey Remus, you're brilliant and I kind of know you're a werewolf want to help me learn about these _stupid_ new instincts I've got?"

His breath caught and his heart stopped.

"I wouldn't ask him like that," the other boy huffed. "He'd probably eat you."

There was another sigh from Evan, this one louder sounding more annoyed.

"Remus wouldn't eat me," his housemate snapped. "Or anyone else," was muttered at the end.

Remus almost turned the corner to look at them, because Evan had said it with such conviction and confidence that he wanted to see the young man's face.

"So, ask him."

"Why don't you just teach me?"

"Because you idiot, all I know is how my own instincts react to you and how I'm supposed to treat you."

Both of them fell silent.

He stayed pressed against the wall, heart beating rapidly in his chest as he tried to understand what just happened. Two people outside of his friends, the headmaster, and Snape knew. Two people he didn't even know and for some strange reason they didn't seem bothered by it. Despite Luke's comment about him eating them, which sounded too much like Sirius or James when they joked, for him to think the kid actually thought he was going to eat anyone.

"_How the hell?"_

"Come on," Luke muttered, interrupting Remus's panic. He slumped forward listening as they walked away.

It didn't make any sense, they hadn't been here long enough to have seen him on a full moon or even after. And he knew none of his friends had told them anything. Unless Snape was spreading a rumor, but that didn't make sense no way would he chance getting expelled, and Remus was pretty sure Malfoy hadn't figured it out.

He groaned and pushed off the wall.

He would just have to keep on eye on them and hope they kept quiet.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16:**

_Draco's POV_

Draco watched as Potter practically ran out of potions class. He cursed silently. He couldn't just chase after him. That would draw attention, so he packed away his supplies and tried to ignore how his father was watching Lupin.

He had no doubt his father was trying to piece together everything that happened. As he put his last book in his bag and left the class, he hopped his father stayed ignorant because it would cause too many problems if he actually managed to puzzle together Potter's dynamic or Lupin's secret.

Only when he was out side of the classroom did he picked up his pace. He had a feeling that Potter would head for their secret room. It was safe, and right now that would be what his instincts were calling for.

It took him longer then he would like to make it to the room and when he opened the door, he sighed. Potter was laying on the couch his bag dropped on the floor next to him. His arm over his head and Draco could smell fear.

"Potter," he said softly, lowering his own bag on to the floor and moving towards the Gryffindor.

"What's happening to me?" Potter whispered.

"Your inheritance," he answered sitting down at the other's feet.

"But I thought that it would just make me…" he stopped.

"Make you what?"

"I don't know…" Potter dropped his arm and looked at him. "Stronger like you or fuck clingy like back at the Leaky Caldron." There was a drawing of a deep breath. "But that.. that wasn't like that," he said softly and dropped his head back on the couch.

Draco sighed. "You're a submissive." Potter jerked up and looked at him, eyes wide.

"I don't know what class of creature you fall under, but submissive are common in a few."

"Oh god," Potter muttered. "Please tell me I'm not going to turn into a something like _Pettigrew._ Weak and begging stronger wizards to protect me."

Draco snorted. "That man is a _coward_. Not a submissive."

"Explain it to me."

He sighed, and looked at his lap. Not sure what to say to help the other. He knew Potter was confused and he wanted to help, he really did, but his father had only taught him about his own inheritance, and showed the manner in which to treat a submissive; it had been practically beaten into him but that wouldn't help Potter, at least not yet.

"Potter." He picked up the Gryffindor's legs and scooted closer, placing the legs over his own. He felt Potter stiffen. He was tempted to look up but refrained. Instead he started running his hands along the others leg in a gentle manner. The touch was slight, but he knew from experience it would help calm someone down. His father used to do it when he was younger.

Back before things got bad and his father had retreated behind the cold façade he presented to the world.

"Look, I'll tell you what I can," he tried. "According to legend a long time ago, there was a threat to magic. Whether it was to magic itself of wizards is unknown.

There aren't many books around from that time, so everything we know has been passed down from one generation to the next. Whatever the threat was, it's said that 13 witches and wizards gathered together and sought a new kind of power. Something to stop the threat. They must have achieved whatever it was they sot because they became extremely powerful. More powerful than any of the others and they didn't hide their power. Muggles that came across them mistook them as gods." He heard Potter huff and he pinched the underside of the Gryffindor thigh. There was a yelp and a slight pull of the leg, he held onto it until Potter sighed and stopped trying to move away.

"_Anyways_," he continued sending the other a glare. "As time passed not only did their powers grow but it changed them. None in the same ways. Some changed physically. They grew faster, stronger, even larger. Some gained new forms they could take on at will, but each one was changed. Father says, their behavior started to become strange and it made the others nervous. Leading many to think they had become creatures, dark creatures, or some kind of creatures they hadn't met before. They wanted to kill them. Get rid of the threat before it became one, but these wizards were too powerful. Some kind of battle came about and in the end a truce was reached." He took a breath, trying to remember all he could about the treaties, his father had told him about.

"A series of treaties were signed. New laws and regulations were added. Things about how to treat them, how to show respect, and law set to protect them from ever being attacked again. Over the years more have been added as knowledge of them grew." He stopped again. Looking down at Potter, who's eyes were on him, looking interested and intense.

"And?" Potter asked.

"_And," _he mimicked. "As they passed these new abilities and attributes to their children- which is where a huge percentage of today's inheritances come from -the families kept a lot about what they had become secret, but there were things they couldn't keep hidden. Like behaviors that would trigger them. There are some that if you show them disrespect, they will lash out. It is something instinctive and they can not help it. Others are so protective or possessive of their families and mates that they will attack or kill any possible threat. The biggest thing was how some became either submissive or dominant." He felt Potter shift at the mention of submissive. "These things had to be shared with the public world because people could get hurt or killed."

He switched his hand to Potter's other leg as he felt the other teen starting to get restless. "Now see while there are some general traits, which we all, there are also some that are only known to the family that carries them."

"As far as most purebloods know, submissive is like the term hints at, submissive. Don't mistake that for weak or _cowards,_" he said pointedly. " According to my father, Dominants in our family are wired to take care and protect both our families and mates. They are physically stronger and faster than submissives. They can become aggressive even possessive if they think there is a threat to what they view as theirs. Submissives are a little different, father says they can be just as protective or possessive if they have to but they are more mild-mannered and gentle. They are protective, but differently, instead of fighting or acting out aggressively they will seek out those that need help and take them in, offering their family and their mates protection. While they aren't physically as strong their magic is often stronger."

"It's a balance I think." He let out a breath. "Doms want to shield their subs to protect them from the world and subs support their doms and help soothe some of our more _violent _qualities, protecting the world from us."

"I can't tell you much, Potter. There hasn't been a submissive in my family in generations. In fact, you are the only one I have met. I'm sorry." He stopped talking. He wasn't even sure if what he had said made sense to the Gryffindor.

He felt Potter shift and looked at him. "What about the order thing?" The brunette asked in a quiet voice like he wasn't sure what else to say. He gave the other boy's leg a squeeze.

"There is a power exchange amongst the two. Like the need to protect their submissive there is also the urge to be in control. You know me Potter, I like to be in control. I enjoy having others follow my lead and obey my commands. It's part of what I am. Submissives have a similar desire, they like the idea of handing over control to someone they trust. Knowing that person will keep them safe and care for them." Potter moved his legs and moved to pull himself on to his elbows.

"I don't want someone to control me," he growled, sounding a little angry, "everyone is always trying to control me. Telling me what to do. Saying that it's for my protection. It's bullshit."

"It's not like that Potter," Draco sighed. _How did he explain this? _

"It is!" Potter shouted jumping off the couch. "When Snape ordered me to stop. I had to!" Draco could smell the fear coming off the other teen and new he had to fix it.

He stood up but kept his distance, " Today in potions. Tell me what you felt?"

"It was strange when he told me to stop, it's like the word echoed in my head and my body just reacted." Potter looked away, "It scared the hell out of me," he whispered.

"Severus's mother's family comes from one of the 13 families. They don't have a dominant or submissive dynamic like some of the others, but they are known to trigger certain submissive behaviors because they give off the same presence as a dominant. Sev saw you were about to do something potentially dangerous and reacted. When he told you to stop, it set off your instinct to listen to him. Understand?" he asked.

"No, I don't," Potter growled.

Draco ran a hand through his hair, Potter was on the verge of running. He could see it in the way the other was standing and from the smell of anxiety and fear coming off him.

"Okay, think of it like this if there is a threat, a dom doesn't always have time to explain, so when ordered a submissive will obey." He sighed, _please let this work. _"Insuring they get away and that their dom can fight without worrying about their mates' safety.

Potter was looking at him with curiosity the fear still present but a little less so. Draco understood, the idea that he would have to obey someone just because they told him to would scare him as well.

"So, if he gives me an order I have to obey? What the fuck? What if someone orders me to do something against the law or hurt myself?" Potter started to move, pacing a few feet away.

Draco closed his eyes, reached down and took hold of his wand. Preparing himself for a pissed off Potter instead of scared.

"_Stop," _he commanded, letting his own dynamic show and Potter stiffened.

Then there was a fist flying at his face and he had to dodge it. He raised his wand placing a shield between the two of them. Potter only hit the shield once with his fist before he stopped.

"What the hell, Malfoy?" Potter glared at him.

"I was showing you," he said in his own defence.

"Showing me what?" Potter yelled.

"That you may have the desire to obey but there is a choice," he said, calmly.

The Gryffindor stopped and seemed to be considering what he said.

"But I still stopped," he said after a few seconds.

He sighed, "Only long enough for you to realize you didn't want to."

When he was sure Potter wasn't going to take another swing at him, he dropped his shield.

"You know it's not all scary or bad. Think about how you felt when your werewolf got all worried about protecting you?" he said grinning.

"What do you mean?" Potter asked moving to sit back on the couch. This time he sat facing the front, his feet on the floor and his head in his hands.

"Lupin's wolf probably smelled your fear when Sev ordered you and he reacted. He wrapped around you like a wolf protecting his cub, probably confused him too. It helped didn't it?" he asked sitting next to the other teen.

Potter nodded. "He felt safe," he muttered out.

"Fuck," the brunette muttered after, "I need to know more about all this."

Then Potter was up and rushing out of the room.

Draco watched him for a second before he rolled his eyes and got up to chase after him. Though as he left the room and noticed Potter nowhere to be seen, he regretted hesitating. It didn't take him more than a thought to guess that Potter was headed for the Library. So, he rushed after him.

He caught up to him in a hallway a short distance from the library.

"Evan," he was careful not to shout as he closed the distance between them.

"Look I know it's scary and we will figure it out okay." The other teen stopped and looked at him.

"How? I have no one I can ask about it." There was a soft smell coming off Potter that had him wanting to wrap him in a hug. He closed his eyes and took a small step back.

"You could talk to Lupin," he offered, because Lupin was a know it all and he was also someone that Potter trusted. The Gryffindor sighed.

"He would ask too many questions."

"So, don't answer them." It what he would do. Get the information he needed and not give anything in return, but he had a feeling that wouldn't sit well with Potter.

"Then why would he answer mine?" Potter snapped at him.

"Because he's a professor?" Potter actually smiled at that.

"Not yet, he isn't." The smile faded a little.

Potter chuckled, "Imagine that conversation, hey Remus, you're brilliant and I kind of know you're a werewolf want to help me learn about these _stupid_ new instincts I've got?" Potter shook his head still grinning.

Draco glared at him. "I wouldn't ask him like that," he huffed. "He'd probably eat you."

That earned him a glare of his own from Potter. "Remus wouldn't eat me, or anyone else."

"So, ask him," he tried again.

"Why don't you just teach me?" Potter actually pouted at him. It was annoying.

"Because you idiot, all I know is how my own instincts react to you and how I'm supposed to treat you." He felt bad about losing his temper, but he really didn't know anything more than what he had already told Potter.

"Come on," he said reaching out and taking Potter's arm. Dragging him off towards the library. Maybe they would get lucky enough to find a few books that would give some useful information and help calm the chosen one down.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17: **

_Draco's POV_

Harry had been silent since they entered the library. The Gryffindor had spent the first 20 minutes or so searching the rows of books for any on submissives or inheritances. He found only one, Draco had seen the frustration on the other teen's face when he grabbed the single book and slunk away to the back of the library where he wouldn't be bothered as he read it.

Draco hopped the other boy found some useful information, he felt slightly bad for not having the right knowledge to help the emerging submissive.

Now while Potter's mind was stuck on what was going on with him, Draco was focused on trying to find a way home. He understood why the other boy was sidetracked but he also knew he couldn't allow himself to be. If he did they could wind up stuck here, and Draco had no intention of living through his parents misery and mistakes.

He sighed and strolled down another row of books. So far he found nothing useful. There was a book on time turners, the same as at Flourish & Blotts. Two books on the theory of time travel, he wasn't sure of their usefulness but took them just in case.

The only spell he had found that affected time was one that could slow time around an enemy. He wasn't sure if it would help but it was at least useful to know, so he wrote it down.

He sighed walking down the next row, even the room of requirements hadn't had anything of help. It seemed the room had tried. Giving him books on the theory of time travel as well as the invention of time turners but nothing on actually time travel being possible.

Which left him with one option. The Restricted section. If he had been home there were a number of professors he could have asked for a pass to the closed-off section, but he hadn't had the time to make an impression on the professors here.

He started working out a plan as he made his way towards where he saw Potter last.

He found him sitting on the floor, pushed back into a far corner before the last row. The other teen was sitting with the book he found on his lap, staring at it blankly.

"What?" Malfoy asked.

"It is separated by known family and creature. If I don't know what I am, I can't read up on it." Potter sighed and closed the book. "I skimmed over a few of them, but they are all different. I'll check it out, and keep looking maybe I'll be able to figure it out. Any luck?"

"No," he said, sticking his hand out to help the other off the floor, because no way in hell he was sitting on the floor. "I need to find a way into the restricted section. I'll probably have better luck in there."

"I might have an idea for that," Potter said as he stood up.

Draco raised his brow. Wondering what kind of plan the other teen had in mind.

He watched as Potter rolled his eyes. "Give me a little while to see if it will work."

"Whatever," he muttered. "Now what?"

_Harry's pov_

Malfoy wasn't happy when he told him that he needed to go back to his common room, alone. The blonde had huffed at him impatient then stomped off. Harry understood it, Malfoy wanted to go home. Harry did too, kind of. He was still angry at his ex-friends and the headmaster, and he was tempted to just stay here and let them suffer their fate, whatever it might be without him, but there were too many innocents that would suffer as well. So, he knew he couldn't stay.

He entered the common room, grateful to see it full of mostly younger years. He headed straight for his room, and took a relieved breath when the room was empty. He felt guilty for what he was about to do. But he and Malfoy had to get into the restricted section, and he knew only one way to do it unnoticed.

He snuck over to James's bed and ran his hand along the top of the trunk at the end. It held the Potter crest, which Harry had only learned about when he saw it and asked the other Potter about it. When his hand slide across the etched symbol the trunk hummed, then there was a click and the trunk came open.

It seemed even through his glamours the magic in the family mark recognized him. He was going to have to get Mafloy to teach him how to add it to his own stuff when they got home.

It didn't take long to find what he was looking for; the soft cloak was folded nicely at the bottom. Harry picked it up and held it close, thinking about all the times this very cloak would help me. He smiled and closed up James's trunk. Slipping the cloak over him, he easily slipped out of the dorm.

It didn't take long for him to find Malfoy. The blonde was still in the library reading a book Harry didn't recognize. Harry slipped behind the Slytherin and poked him on the shoulder.

The blonde jumped and looked around. Harry had to cover his mouth to hide his laugh. He waited until Malfoy settled down before doing it again. This time Malfoy stood up from his seat and actually searched the area around him. It took a minute before the blonde made to sit back down but Harry poked him in the ribs before he made it to the chair.

"Dammit Potter," the blonde hissed, his arms swinging out to try and find him. "I know it's you."

Harry laughed and grabbed Malfoy's wrist dragging the blonde between the rows of books. Then he slipped off the cloak.

"What the hell is that?" Malfoy said, reaching out and running his fingers along the fabric.

"My father's cloak," Harry whispered. "It is or will be the only thing I inherited from him. Or the only thing I knew I inherited."

As he talked he watched Malfoy's fingers disappear as the blonde slipped them under the cloak.

"It's an invisibility cloak. I thought they were a myth." The Slytherin looked so awed that Harry didn't have it in him to rush him along. He let Malfoy fiddling with the cloak for a few more minutes before the blonde seemed to come back to himself and slip it over his shoulders, pulling Harry in with him.

Harry hadn't realized how much bigger he had grown since he first got the cloak. He and Malfoy had to stay close to make sure they were both covered. When they reached the restricted section, Malfoy pulled out his wand and whispered a spell, Harry didn't know. The lock came open with ease and they slipped inside.

Malfoy pulled the cloak off them and handed it back to Harry, gently and with respect. Harry noticed with surprise. It made him smile. He folded it over his arm and took off in the opposite direction of the other boy.

Half an hour later, he heard his name whispered and made his way towards where he could hear Malfoy moving around.

"I think I found something," Malfoy started the second he was close enough.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18:**

_Remus Pov_

Remus had been wandering through the library trying to find a quiet place to study. When he caught Evan's scent, his classmate smelt exhausted and sad, so instead of continuing his search he turned and headed for the other Gryffindor.

He found the small brunette, in the back of the room hiding in a dark corner. Evan was bent over a dusty book and Remus could smell the salt from his tears. Feeling for the other boy, he reached down and plucked the book out of his hands, taking a quick look at the cover, he sighed. He remembered the conversation he overheard before between Evan and his Slytherin friend. It seemed he still hadn't found his answers.

"What's wrong?" he asks.

"It's nothing," Evan muttered as he tried to reach up and take the book back. Remus just lifted it higher so that the boy, who was still seated on the ground, couldn't reach it.

"It has to be something, if it's upsetting you," he said gently. Evan sent him a pathetic glare.

"Talk to me," Remus said, moving to sit on the floor next to his friend. He made sure to keep the book on his far side, out of reach. Evan eyed the book for a moment before he huffed.

"It's useless," he said pointed looking at the book.

"How so?" he asked even though he already knew some of it.

Evan looked him dead in the eye. It made Moony growl inside him, the challenging look and the annoyance they could both feel coming off the other student. He tried to take a breath, pushing down the wolf.

Evan sighed and looked away, "I don't know anything about my family's inheritance, and I can't ask them... for reasons, and this book is only helpful if I already know certain stuff. Which I don't."

"I'm sorry," he said. "What about taking what you are experiencing and narrowing it down that way?" He wanted to ask about why the other boy couldn't ask his family, but he remembered what he heard about Evan not wanting to talk to him because he might ask questions. He felt slightly annoyed but understood the need to keep secrets.

"I tried," Evan muttered. "But I'm not really experiencing much, just…" the boy shook his head, "You know the other day in potions."

Remus was curious about what the boy had been about to say and almost asked, but someone cleared their throat from the opening of the area they were seated.

It was Luke, the Slytherin didn't smell hostile but the way he eyed Remus made Moony growl. But the boy looked away, looking back at his friend, his face softening a little.

"What's wrong?"

"Stupid inheritance and stupid book," Evan grumbled.

Luke chuckled. "We'll figure it out."

_Draco's pov_

He hadn't been looking for Potter but when he entered the library, he could smell the brunette. He could also smell salt in the air and the werewolf. Even though he knew Lupin was special to Potter, something in him worried. So, he moved through the stacks following their smell until he found them.

Both Gryffindors were seated on the floor, talking quietly. He could see the book, Potter found the night before in the wolfs hands and got an idea of what was going.

"What's wrong?" he asked, smiling when Potter looked up at him.

"Stupid inheritance and stupid book," the other grumbled, glaring a little at the book in his friends' hand.

Draco chuckled, at the childish attitude. "We'll figure it out."

He took a step forward and then looked around. "_Evan," he_ whined a little as he said it. "Do I have to sit on the floor?" To which Potter burst out laughing and Lupin looked a little confused for a second before he chuckled.

"Arseholes," he muttered as he forced himself to sit down. He sent a glare at Potter to make sure the idiot knew he wasn't happy about it. Just a little pleased at seeing the other boy still smiling.

He was about to ask more about the inheritance book when he realized he was sitting across from one of the smartest students at Hogwarts and that maybe the future professor could help them with what he came into the library to research.

"L... Remus, have you heard of a _Displacement ritual_?" He had been reading through the old book he found in the restricted section all day, the ritual had caught his eye and he hoped it might be a helpful piece of the puzzle on time travel, but the information was minimal, now he hoped Lupin would know more.

The werewolf raised an eyebrow in question. "It's used to move something from one place to another, I believe it is similar to that used on a Portkey. Why?"

Draco could feel Potter's eyes on him, but didn't look. He knew the other teen wouldn't like him dragging the werewolf into this, but they needed the man's help.

"Does it work on people? The book I have been reading only talks about objects."

Remus gave him a curious look. "If done correctly I don't see why not."

Draco smiled.

"What about _Futurae salire_?" he asked.

This got him a bewildered look from Lupin. This was another spell he found in the book. He had been so shocked when he first saw it, he dropped the damn book. Causing everyone in the common room to look up and stare at him. He waved them off and picked up the book, then rushed into his room to read more. Unfortunately like the ritual, information was lacking. Though from what he understood, it was their best chance. If he could get the two spells to work together…. He was sure he could get them home.

"It's a theory," the sandy haired teen said. "It's said that Merlin himself used it to not only see his future but visit it." He heard Potter gasp. "But no one has ever gotten it to work. Nor proven that Merlin actually used it."

"Why?" Lupin asked, looking between the two of them.

"Just curious," he said, before he pushed himself to his feet. "Thank you," he said with a nod to the werewolf. "Evan, I'll see you later." Then he walked off.

As he walked away, he heard Lupin asked Potter what it had been about, and to his credit the Gryffindor lied. He was excited as he hurried to the Room of Requirements, with Lupin's assurances that the Displacement Ritual would work on people and hearing that _Futurae salire_ spell was created by Merlin, he was sure he could combine the two to get them home. All he really needed now was a way to make sure they got to the right time. It wouldn't do them any good if they managed the bloody spell only to end up in another wrong time.

As he approached the wall where the room was hidden, he whispered, "Ferret." Silently cursing Potter for it. Then he entered the room and rushed to the wall lined with books. He was sure he saw something in one of the books a few days before about a tethering spell. He just had to find it.


	19. Chapter 19

**Ch. 19:**

_Harry Pov_

Malfoy had left the library in a good mood earlier, so Harry was taken by surprise when he entered the Room of Requirements and had to duck out of the way of a book flying at his face. He heard the book hit the wall behind him with a thud and looked towards the blonde.

"What the fuck, Malfoy?"

Malfoy picks up another book and threw it by _hand,_ no wand in sight, across the room. This time not aiming for Harry. "Stupid...bloody...books." He heard the blonde curse as he picked up yet another book and hurled it against a wall.

Then reached for another, Harry now more than a little worried, rushed across the room, snatched the current book being held by the slytherin, and slammed Malfoy against the shelves.

"Stop," he demanded. Only to be hit with the urge to back away, when Malfoy's glare met his. Something in the back of his mind told him to back down, he tried to ignore it.

"What's wrong?" he asked, his voice quieter then he wanted. That same voice in the back of his head warning him, not to challenge the angry dominant in front of him. He swallowed not sure how he felt about it all.

"It's _bloody_ pointless, Potter." The blonde sneered. Then he shook Harry off, walked over and dropped onto the couch. Harry placed the book in his hand on the shelf and followed Malfoy to the couch.

"What is?" he asked, sitting next to him.

"The ritual." The blonde huffed, "I found all the pieces, even started a list of things we needed, only we can't perform it." Harry's pulse quickened.

"Why not?" he asked, trying not to panic. _They couldn't really be stuck here? Could they? _

Then the guilt hit him because maybe, just maybe, a small part of him didn't mind that. Not as much as he should.

"We need a tether," the blonde went on, oblivious to Harry's inward struggle. "Someone in our time needs to perform the same ritual with something to tie us to that place and time. That way when we perform the _bloody spell _we are pulled home," a deep breath, "instead of just another wrong time."

"Oh…" he said, because he couldn't find the words to say anything else.

He fell back against the couch and closed his eyes.

"Now are you going to tell me why we can't speak to the headmaster?" Malfoy asked. "We could ask him to be the tether or to set one up. After all we know he will be at Hogwarts in our time." He looked over to see Malfoy studying him.

He lowered his gaze to the floor. " We can't trust him," he muttered, then cleared his throat. "Before all this," he waved his hand and gestured around the room, "I got a note from someone I trust, telling me not to trust him. Then I found out that others have been lying to me too." He looked up, hoping the blonde would get it, and that he wouldn't have to go into anymore details.

Malfoy's eyes narrowed, "Weasel and Granger?" Harry nodded, "and the bindings?" Harry nodded again.

"Fuck." The blonde sighed,"Then we really are stuck."

_Could they really? What the hell would they do? Could they change things? Should they? _He sighed, as badly as he wanted to spare his family from their fate, and put a stop to Voldemort before he could kill more people or do anymore damage, he had no way of knowing the consequences. Some things he wouldn't mind changing, Sirius's years in Azkaban, Dumbledore's manipulations, Ron and Hermione lying to him, and his life with the Dursleys, but he couldn't chance that someone else died or faired worse just so he could save himself from pain and heartbreak.

He sighed again.

Thinking about the things he could and couldn't change made him think about home. He wondered what his old friends were up too. Where Ron and Hermione pretending to be worried about him? Was Ginny still trying to get Dean's attention? Had Seamus or Neville blown up anymore cauldron's in Snape's class? That one made him laugh. What about Remus? Or the twins? Where they still his friends? Or-

"The twins!" he shouted, jolting up right in his seat. Scaring the hell out of Malfoy who jumped to his feet, wand in hand, looking around for attackers.

"What the hell?" the blonde shouted looking down at him.

"The twins. I think they would help us, and they can get into the school unnoticed." Malfoy raised a perfect eyebrow at him.

"Trust me, they can get in." He grinned.

"You trust them?" Malfoy asked sitting back down. Harry swallowed, his gut told him yes. That he could trust them, but he was having a hard time trusting his gut after everything he had discovered lately.

"I think so," he mumbled. "They aren't like Ron, he wants to be famous, he craves the spotlight, but they just want to have fun, play pranks, and entertain people." He rubbed his slightly sweaty palms on his robes. "I gave them the winnings from the Triwizard Tournament." Malfoy made a low noise in his throat, probably disbelief. "I didn't want it. Not after everything that happened, and they had been planning on selling their stuff anyways. I figured that's what people needed right now, laughs and jokes." He looked at the blonde, "You know, stuff to make them smile."

Malfoy stared at him for a moment then nodded, "I get it."

"And not only did they do it, they made me their silent partner, they send me free samples all the time, and always ask how I'm doing." He took a breath, "I think they care and that they are my friends." He looked away, because if he was wrong, they would be stuck here.

"Alright," Malfoy said standing up. "What's your plan on asking them for help?"

He thought about if for a second.

"A letter," he said standing up. "We write a letter and have the goblins hang on to it until the right time. The twins will get it and hopefully be able to help." He exhaled, "We won't know for sure until we try it on our end though."

"It's a risk we will have to take," Malfoy told him. "However, I want to write a letter of my own."

Harry looked at him, "To?"

Malfoy sighed, "Severu-"

"No," Harry caught him off. "He hates me. He supports Voldemort." He saw Malfoy's hands tighten at the name. He didn't trust Snape, though he was starting to have some doubts about just how much the man supported Voldemort. After some of the things he learned about the people he had trusted, he started looking at other people in his life, and while the man was an arsehole, he had never hurt him. In fact he had saved his life a few times.

"He doesn't hate _me_," Malfoy said, crossing his arms over his chest.

He sighed, "There has to be someone else you trust. Someone who doesn't want to kill me or hand me over to my enemies." Malfoy's eyes narrowed, and Harry could actually feel the anger and frustration coming off him. The back of his neck tingled and he lowered his head, just a bit.

He heard a choked sound from Malfoy and he looked back up.

He was confused, because Malfoy's eyes had darkened and Harry could see that his breathing had sped up. Shivers ran down his spine, he gulped and took a step back. Not really understanding why, but doing it nonetheless.

Malfoy closed his eyes and took a couple slow deep breaths. The strange tingle dissipated but Harry still felt the need to drop his head. He didn't, not again.

"Blaise," the Slytherin said after a moment. Opening his still darkened eyes at Harry. He was so caught in them that it took a second for the blonde's word to process.

"Huh?" he asked.

"Someone who doesn't want you dead or hand you off to the Dark Lord." _Oh…_

"Umm...okay...sure." _Fuck why was I stuttering_, or worse why did he want to move closer to the damn blonde?

"I'm going," the blonde said, before grabbing his bag and rushing out the door.

Harry stood there, lost. _What the hell just happened? _

It took several minutes after the other boy was gone, for him to move from his spot. He dropped back down on the couch and pulled out some parchment and a quill.

"Now," he mumbled. "What the hell do I say?"


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

_Harry's POV_

He had just written Fred and George's names, because it was all he could think of, when Malfoy came stomping back into the room.

"A truth circle," the blonde said in a flat cool tone. Harry looked up at him, "huh?"

The tall blonde rolled his eyes. "It's a spell that goblin's can perform that insures all those inside have to tell the truth. It only works for those in the circle and once the circle is broken so is the spell. It isn't regulated or watched like veritaserum. Plus add in a simple binding spell and they can have who ever is in the circle swear they will not talk to or tell anyone outside of those in the circle about what they learned."

Harry sighed, "This is about Snape."

"Yes," Malfoy said. "I know we can trust him, and this spell is complicated. I know you believe your Weasleys will be able to pull it off, but I believe having Severus there will insure it."

"Malfoy, I don't trust h-"

"Then trust _me!_" the blonde snapped.

Harry stopped. He took in the blonde, who was looking at him with a desperate look in his eyes, and he understood. While he trusted the twins, Malfoy didn't. He needed someone he trusted involved in the spell, a small comfort found in this messed up situation. Harry closed his eyes and leaned back against the couch.

"Okay," he said, because he couldn't deny the blonde that. Not after everything the blonde had done. If it hadn't been for Malfoy, Harry would probably still be hiding in a room at the Leaky Cauldron, scared and confused. He owed the Slytherin this much, at least.

"Really?" Malfoy sounded surprised. Harry snorted and opened his eyes. He looked over at Malfoy.

"Yeah, but you have to write the spell, and promise me that he won't be able to tell anyone other than the Twins and Blaise about what is happening. I know you trust him, but I need to know he can't tell Voldemort or Dumbledore."

Malfoy grinned at him. "I will."

Then he looked back and forth between the entrance to the room and Harry. "So, how's your letter coming?" Then he was moving across the room and dropping down on the couch next to Harry.

"It's not," he muttered as he moved up so that he could reach the table and his parchment. "I haven't a clue what to say to them. How to I explain, why they can't trust the headmaster, or their own brother? How do I explain time travel? Or you?" he glare at the parchment and rubbed a hand through his hair.

"Me?" Malfoy asked.

"Yeah you," he said, looking over at him. "You know the rumors and theories around the school must be going mad. We disappear together, everyone thinks your a dark wizard and evil. They have to believe you took me to Voldemort or killed me," he stopped, his eyes widening, "Malfoy…" he took a deep breath. "What do you think Voldemort thinks? I mean everyone else would think you took me to him, but he wouldn't?"

Harry looked at the blonde, who's blood drained from his face. Making him even more pale.

"He would think, I've betrayed him. Even if I don't wear his mark, my father does. They…" He saw the blonde swallow, "They would both see it as a betrayal."

The blonde shot to his feet," Fuck Potter."

Harry didn't know what to do as the blonde paced angrily around the room. It took a while before Malfoy seemed to calm down. When he turned to look at Harry, he felt his stomach knot. The dark worried look causing the tiny hairs on the back of his neck to stand.

"We have to tell my father."

Harry choked. "We have to _what?" _he asked, because he couldn't have heard that right.

"Potter, he can't think I betrayed him. I could give a rat's arse about the Dark Lord, but I can not have my father think I would betray him." The Slytherin looked determined, and Harry was a little sure he was imagining the pleading look hidden in the blondes grey eyes.

"Fucking hell, Malfoy," he said standing up. "I understand telling Snape, but your father?"

"Even if we can't trust him," the blonde said, catching Harry by surprise, "the circle would bind him, he wouldn't be able to tell anyone."

"You don't trust him?" Harry asked.

Malfoy glared at him, "I trust him to help _me._ To save _me_. To protect _me_, but you are right. he follows the Dark Lord, so I don't trust him with _you_." Harry swallowed hard as a wave of something close to happiness washed over him. Malfoy cared, and wasn't that a fucking bombshell. His one time rival now _friend? _Actually cared about what happened to him. _Fucking hell. _He kind of wanted to hug the angry blonde. It had been a long while since he felt cared for. Not since Sirius came into his life, and with his godfather on the run, he didn't get to experience this almost gleeful feeling often. He let out a breath.

"So…" he cleared his throat, "we tell your father." Malfoy's eyes narrowed and the blonde took a step towards him. Looking a little conflicted, but he stopped moving.

"I swear Potter, the spell will keep him from telling anyone."

Harry lowered his head. "Promise me," he whispered slowly looking back up. "Promise me that him and Snape won't be able to tell anyone. Promise me, I'm not making a mistake in trusting them?" The _in trusting you, _went unsaid.

He couldn't see the Slytherin but he heard him walk over to him and he could see his shoes when he stopped in front of him. Still the cool hand surprised him when it gently took a hold of his chin and moved his head upwards.

He met the blonde's grey eyes, and shivered.

"I promise," Malfoy said, confident and calm.

He nodded, still feeling the fingers on his chin. "Okay," he said, "we tell them."

Malfoy smiled at him, it was genuine and caused Harry's breath to catch.

"It will be alright,P-Harry. I promise." Then the fingers disappeared and Harry felt their loss deep inside. He stood there for a moment, trying to clear his mind, because what the hell? Why was he missing Malfoy's touch? Then he turned and joined the blonde on the couch. Both of them pulling out parchment and starting their letters.


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

Snape's POV

Severus was not avoiding the headmaster, no matter what the old bat said. He just didn't feel the need to spend his evening listening to another insane theory about what happened to the Potter brat. He had managed to keep Draco's disappearance hidden, mostly. He was sure a few of his friends were suspicious. He sighed dropping down onto his armchair.

In the week that the two had been missing. So far the headmaster had been able to keep Potter's disappearance hidden. Just as Severus had hidden Draco's but if they didn't return, soon. They wouldn't be able to keep it quiet.. He could just imagine the stories. star crossed lovers, or Draco kidnapping and enslaving Potter for the Dark Lord. While he might have found a few amusing, he was starting to become too worried to find any of this funny. Even Lucius hadn't heard from his son and his old friend had assured him neither had his wife.

Severus knew for a fact that his Lord didn't have a hand in the two going missing. His Lord had a plan for Draco, one that wouldn't be possible with the young Malfoy missing, and that meant if the Dark Lord found out he would be furious. He knows the Dark Lord would think betrayal or cowardice. But Draco wasn't a coward and that he wouldn't betray them.

But as the days passed, Severus could even see his old friend was starting to have doubts. He prayed that Draco was okay, and even if he wouldn't admit it to another living soul, he prayed the same for Lily's son.

He pulled out his wand waving it at the small bar in his room, then watched as a bottle and a glass floated across the room. The bottle tipping itself and pouring until the glass was full. Then he reached out, just as his fingers brushed the glass, a tapping sound came from the room's single window. A small brown owl sat outside it.

He sat the glass down. The owl wasn't one he recognized, but he got to his feet and walked over. When he opened the window and the small bird hopped in, he recognized the Gringotts seal. He tilted his head, he hadn't requested anything from the bank and he was sure his accounts were all in order. Confused, he took the letter, fed the bird a treat, then shooed it out the window.

He opened the letter.

_Mister Severus Snape,_

_Your presence is requested at Gringotts bank, tonight, September 26th at 8pm. _

_Please be punctual and inform no one as to your whereabouts. _

_-Grimmhook _

He glared at the letter.

"The hell?" he muttered. He had never heard of a goblin demanding a wizards presence and doing so while telling him to keep it a secret? That was strange.

But he was curious. So, he quickly got dressed. It was easy to sneak out of the castle and then apperating to Diagon Alley.

_Fred's POV_

"George I'm telling you that snakes skin will not make these taste better." He looked at his twin who was grinning at him. "Nope, brother of mine, but it will make them glow pretty." They both laughed.

"We could also add-" he started but was cut off by a tapping sound at one of the store's windows.

"You get it," they shouted at each other in unison.

He snorted and walked over and opened the window. The dark brown owl hooted at him and flew into the room. It dropped down on their counter, close to a fresh batch of Nosebleed Nougats. He watched amused his brother lunged across the counter, waving the bird off. George stuck his tongue out as he moved the candy away from it. Fred chuckled at his brother. Who was then bitten by the owl.

George cursed and eyed the bird. His eyes sparkling with mischief and Fred knew that second, his twin was debating what would happen if he gave one to the bird.

He sighed, and used his wand to pull the treats away from his brother's arm and sent them flying to the other side of the room.

"The letter, brother," his brother pouted at him, but unclipped the letter from the grumpy owl.

"Huh" was all his brother said, before the letter was tossed to him.

_Misters Fred and George Weasley,_

_Your presence is requested at Gringotts bank, tonight, September 26th at 8pm. _

_Please be punctual and infom no one as to your whereabouts. _

_-Grimmhook _

"We going?" George asked moving to stand next to him.

"Of course we are," he said grinning at his this was, it seemed like it might be interesting

_Lucius's POV_

He was running out of ideas and ways to stall the Dark Lord. The man was demanding to see Draco, going on and on about having a mission for the younger Malfoy. So far, Lucius and Severus had managed to sidetrack and lie about his son but he wasn't sure how much longer they could keep it up.

He couldn't reach out. Anyone he spoke had the potential for the information to get leaked back to the Dark Lord. It didn't matter whose side they were on. To make matters worse, Severus had mentioned Potter missing class this week. If the Potter boy was missing as well, and people learn of Draco, rumors would fly and he might not be able to help his son.

He snarled and threw his glass at the wall. He didn't believe his son would go after The Boy Who Lived. Not only because it was illogical but because Lucius was positive his idiot son was half in love with the hero. He also knew his son wouldn't betray him. Or at least he had been sure, but his own mind was starting to doubt it, because it didn't make sense that if Draco was in trouble he couldn't reach out. To him or to his godfather. He sighed.

"Dragon, where are you?" he whispered to the empty room.

A sudden tapping at his window pulled him from his thoughts. He glared at the brown owl outside the window, but waved his wand, letting the creature in. It flew towards him and landed on the arm of his chair. He sat down and released the letter bound to his foot. He waved the bird off, he hooted at him then flew out the window.

He opened the letter.

_Mister Lucius Malfoy,_

_Your presence is requested at Gringotts bank, tonight, September 26th at 8pm. _

_Please be punctual and infom no one as to your whereabouts. _

_-Grimmhook _

_The hell? _He thought.

Blaise's POV

"You heard from Draco?" Pansy asked sitting down next to him in the common room.

He shook his head, just like he did every night when she asked. He knew they were both worried about Draco, but why she thought their friend would reach out to him and not her he didn't understand.

Plus he was starting to get annoyed with the way she watched him lately. It caused an uncomfortable feeling in his stomach. Like she was watching him too closely and suspected he would lie to her. Which made him think that maybe he should. He shook his head, he didn't like doubting his friends, but with Draco missing and Pansy acting off, it felt like that was all he was doing.

"You think he killed Potter?" Theo asked from his spot on the floor. Blaise looked up at him, to find the tall burnett was staring at him. Blaise wasn't sure about Nott, while he counted him as a friend, his father's allegiance to the Dark Lord was well known amongst the slytherins and it made Blaise careful about what he did or said around him.

Blaise and his mother still held their neutral ground, not siding with Voldemort or Dumbledore, but she had written him more than once since school started, telling him that she was getting pressure from both sides and telling him to be careful.

It was all giving him a headache. He missed the days were he didn't have to watch what he said to his friends. Or when he knew for sure who those friends were.

He sighed, "I'm going to bed."

Nott was the only one to acknowledge him, with a small nod before the brunette turned and started talking to Goyle.

When he walked over to his trunk and was about to drop his bag onto it he noticed a letter. He looked around carefully before picking it up. The Gringotts seal was clear on it and he wondered how the hell it got into their room.

Then he broke the seal and read it.

_Mister Blaise Zabini_

_Your presence is requested at Gringotts bank, tonight, September 26th at 8pm. _

_Due to your age and location, it has been requested that you seek the Head of your House as his appearance as been sought as well. _

_Please be punctual and infom no one as to your whereabouts. _

_-Grimmhook _

He grabbed his coat and pulled it on. Shoving the letter into one of his pockets, he used his wand to cast a notice me not spell, taught to him by his mother, over himself and snuck out.

He tried not to run as he rushed towards Professors Snape's private room. When he turned the corner and saw the man walking away, he sped up.

"Professor!" he called. He actually heard the man sighing as he stopped and turned around.

"Zabini, I am unavailable right now. Come back tomorrow." His professor started to turn away,

"Wait," he called again, reaching out to grab the man's arm. Not his smartest move. He felt the man pull his arm back, and looked up to see a surprised look on the Head of Slytherin face.

He let go and quickly reached into his coat and pulled out the letter, shoving it towards the man. Snape's eyes widened, then his face turned neutral and he handed him back his letter.

"It seems we have a meeting to attend. Don't linger."

George's POV

He felt nervous as he and Fred walked into Gringotts. He could tell from the way his twin looked around that he wasn't the only one. They had tried to figure out what the letter was about, but nothing came to mind. As they walked, their path was suddenly cut off by an older looking Goblin.

"Misters Fred and George Weasley, please follow me." Then the goblin started walking away.

He looked at his brother, who just shrugged and followed after the goblin. He sighed and caught up to his brother. "If we die, it's all your fault." His brother chuckled.

They were led to a large room, where two couches sat across from each other, the only other occupant of the room had both of them freezing in the tracks. Not that the goblin noticed.

"Wait here, we are expecting two more" then the goblin left, closing the door behind him.

He looked at his brother, _what do we do?_ He asked without words. _Dunno, _his brother's face said.

"Mister Malfoy," he said, stepping away from his brother. "Sir, do you know what this is about?"

He tried not to let his nerves show as he addressed the elder pureblood, not only was he worried about the man's associations but about customs and manners. It didn't matter that their family wasn't as popular or powerful as the Malfoy's; there were certain things about being a pureblood that still stood, and that was being respectful of their elders. His father had made sure they understood that, and while he would rather start throwing hex's at the bastard. He wasn't about too.

The blonde man looked up at them from his seat on the farthest couch, "I do not," he said, then seemed to consider something, "but with the two of you here, I am starting to get an idea."

"Harry and M-Draco," his twin said, moving around him to sit on the couch facing Malfoy. The man nodded. Fred looked over his shoulder at him, his eyebrows raised, _You think they know what happened to them? _

"What could the goblins know?" he asked moving to sit next to his brother, Malfoy's gray eyes following him. "I don't see Harry running off and hiding in a bank… though that's not a half bad idea." His brother laughed.

"I do-" Mister Malfoy was cut off by the door open again, him and his brother turned to look at the door.

"I think we are now outnumbered by snakes," his brother whispered, well stage whispered. He snorted and saw Snape roll his eyes.


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22 **

_Snape's POV_

"It appears you are all here. Now I must ask each of you to stand and step inside this circle." the goblin said as he waved his hand and a large white circle appeared in the center of the room. Etched runes glowing throughout it. Severus studied the circle, something about it seemed familiar, but he couldn't place it.

"What is this about?" he turned to ask the goblin.

"I'm afraid, Mister Snape, I can not tell you until each of you as stepped into the circle," the goblin's black eyes stared up at him.

"I will not-"

"Enough, Severus," Lucius demanded stepping into the circle, two confused redheads watching him. "This is Draco's spell work. I would recognize it anywhere. Get in here." His blonde friend glared at him. "_Now." _

He felt a shiver run down his spine. He hadn't taken an order from Lucius in years, not since they were young, but his body still reacted. He returned the glare, stepping into the circle.

Zabini following behind him just a little hesitant.

He saw the twins look at each other and nod, before they too joined them inside the circle. Severus wondered what they were doing here. _If Draco had set this up, the rest of the group made sense, but not the twins. Unless, Draco was working with Potter? But still wouldn't their younger brother and Granger be here? _

He felt the magic snap in place around them.

"I must have each of you swear, that what you will not speak of what you learn here today. Not to anyone not locked inside the circle with you.

"Fucking…" one twin said at the same time the other cursed, "Hell…" and to his surprise Zabini spoke in sync with the duo, "Truth circle." Severus saw the twins eye the Slytherin, then they both grinned, and he felt a wave of worry. Not for Blaise but for the rest of the world if the three became friends. Keeping Draco and Blaise out of trouble was problem enough without the two Weasleys influence.

Lucius however ignored the small exchange, "I swear."

"Luc, stop," he ordered moving towards his friend, "You have no idea what you are swearing to. This could be a trap."

"You think Draco would trap us?" his friend said looking him in the eyes, anger and worry clear as can be.. "You think Dragon would do anything to hurt us, his father? His godfather?" his friend growled, then tilted his head towards Blaise. "What about his best friend?"

He fought against a forgotten instinct to lower his head to his friend. It wasn't something he did anymore.

He gritted his teeth. "He would if someone tortured him or forced the spell from him," he said, hating himself for doing it. He didn't want to think about the horrible things that could be happening to his godson, but it was his job to think about things like this. Normally Lucius would be thinking the same, but his judgement clouded by worry over his son.

"He wouldn't," Luc said, straightening his shoulders. He wanted to reach out and shake the man, because it was killing him not knowing, but walking into something blindly just because he was worried was stupid.

"Luc-"

"We wouldn't be here," one of the twins said, cutting him off.

"What?" Blaise said.

"If this was something personal about the younger Malfoy, we wouldn't be here," the other twin said.

"And if Harry…"

"Is involved…"

"They would have targeted Ron.." he was starting to get annoyed with the bouncing back and forth, and from the way Luc's eyes darkened, so was he.

"Or Hermione."

"Not us," they finished together.

"How can you now for sure?" Blaise asked, looking intrigued. _Great. _

"Easy," one of the twins said smiling at the younger boy. "No one knows how close we are to Harry," the other said, grinning. _How close they are? _Okay now he was curious. He stepped back from Malfoy so he could see everyone in the circle.

"Aside from Harry," the first one said again.

"So, your the proof," Luc said eyeing the twins. "That Potter and Draco are for some reason working together."

Both redheads shrugged. "We are just saying that, the only reason we are here. Is because Harry wants us here."

As much as he hated to admit it, they made sense. Though he was going to have to rethink the connection to Potter. He had no idea, they knew him that well. He knew Potter was close to their brother, but he had never seen any sign of friendship between the three boys. And if he hadn't neither had anyone else. Which meant the three Gryffindors were better at hiding and keeping secrets then he expected.

"Fine. Alright. I swear," he said. He saw Luc's shoulders relax.

"We swear," the twins said, getting a sigh from him and Lucius, and a chuckle from Blaise who then added, "I swear." The circle glowed and then a box appeared at its center.

One of the twins was the first to move, kneeling down on the floor and opening the box. Inside it were a number of letters. Severus took a step closer, only to be handed a letter with his name and the number 1 on it from the young man kneeling on the floor. Then he watched as a few more were handed out. One to each person in the circle, though he could see a couple of letters left in the box.

He sighed and opened his letter.

_Severus,_

_Please don't be angry at me. Or Potter. We had no hand in what happened to us. I don't know what to say in this letter. I feel I should ask you to reassure father that I did not run away nor was I taken. I would never shame or betray him like that. However, I am stuck where I am, and need your help, and that of the others hopefully standing in the circle with you. _

_I know you will find this hard to believe, but Potter and I are stuck in the past. _Your past. _Well yours and fathers, and a group of strange Gryffindors. The only proof I have is that after sharing a room with a younger version of you and father for the last several weeks, I have decided you owe me an explanation on many things, and that I had no idea how much father truly disliked mother. _

_As to what happened to us. I still am not sure. I had been out for a late night walk, my cat needed it. I heard Filch coming so I hid. Imagine my surprise when Potter hid in the same spot. After Filch wandered off, we started talking, well, arguing, whatever. When this bright light appeared along one of the castle walls. I tried to warn Potter, but when he tried to move away from it, it started pulling at us. Dragging us into it. After that, all I remember is walking up, outside during the day. _

_While I don't know how we got here. We have worked out a plan to get back. We hope. _

_Inclosed in another letter is a set of instructions and supplies. Potter assures me that the twins can get a few of the harder things to find. And I believe him. Let them help, Sev, please._

_The hardest part of the spell, outside from needed help from people in our time is time. _

_We have no idea if the days are passing at the same rate. Or if we are moving at a different pace. Which leaves us with a problem. How can we work the spell on the same at the same time, if we don't know. I am trying desperately to find a suitable time. I will send another letter, hopefully when you get this one. You will get that one as well. _

_Hope you are well, _

_Draco. _

_Lucius POV_

He watched as one of the Weasley twins knelt down over the box. He felt worried as the young man handed out letters to everyone in their group. He had to will his hands not to shake as he took his. _Was Draco okay? What had happened to him? Why hadn't he just come home? _

Taking a deep breath, he opened his letter.

_Father, _

_I am sorry. I know me disappearing cannot have been easy on you, and to make matters worse, I'm sure the Dark Lord thinks I have run off like a coward. While I do not believe in him like you do, I would never betray you. _

_I have explained most of this in detail to Severus, about what happened, please read it there. _

_However, I must ask you not to show this letter to anyone, (outside of Fred and George, as they are the only two Potter trusts.). Potter is a submissive. A bound one, father, I don't know what to do. He is emerging slowly and he has never been informed about any of it. I have tried to help him, but we don't know anything about the Potter's line or their inheritance. _

_Dumbledore! The man Potter has trusted above anyone else, is the one who bound him. 7 different spells, father I was furious when I saw them. It seems being here, in the past, is causing them to unravel, but I fear for what will happen once we return. The headmaster is sure to feel his spells have gone. I don't think Potter has thought about it. Truth he is distracted. Between his inheritance and being around his parents, I don't blame him. _

_Another note, his so called friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, are liars. He found out they have been faking their friendship with him all these years. I don't know what they are telling people, but watch them closely and believe nothing. _

_Now for the part of the letter Potter, will kill me for. Find Remus Lupin. He is important to Potter and I have seen how protective the younger version of the man is towards Potter. No way he would ever betray him. I know the circle is set to stop you from speaking to anyone else, but I have written in an exception, not that Potter or the goblins know. You can tell Remus, everything. I believe he needs to know. Potter is going to need him when we get back. _

_I know you joked about me being in love with Potter, with how often I talked about him. At least I had thought it was a joke, but in truth, I am confused. I feel drawn to him, and here in this time, with no one influencing us, we have become friends. I am not sure though if it's me that is drawn to him or my cat. I hate feeling confused father. _

_I hope to see you soon. _

_Love, Dragon._

_Blaise POV_

It felt strange to be standing in a circle with two older students (well ex) that he had never said a word to before, his professor and his best friend's father. He knew which families stood on which side of the war, and the fact that these four people (not counting him) had been not only civil towards each other but seemed to be in agreement to trust that this was all set up by Harry Potter and Draco surprised the hell out of him. So much so, that he jumped when the smiling Weasley handed him a letter with his name on it.

"Thanks," he muttered, turning it over and breaking the seal. With a deep breath he read it.

_Blaise, _

_Time travel is real, and it is horrible._

_I never wanted to know things about my father, that I now know. _

_I'm sorry if my disappearance scared you. Or if it has in anyway caused you problems. _

_I explained most of this in Severus letter, but Potter and I have been thrown back in time, going to school with our parents, and we need help to return. _

_I am also sorry to drag you into this. I know how you feel about getting involved with the war, and this helping Harry Potter, return, will impact the war. No matter how I look at it, I know that. Either he will come back and win or lose, but either way it means he will be there. I am sorry. You are my best friend and the only friend I trust. Speaking of, don't trust Pansy. I caught her sneaking off private information to her father. Be Careful, I think they tend to force your mother's hand. _

_Also, I will never punch you again when you joke about my obsession with Potter. _

_Please help Father and Severus. Also the Weasley twins. Potter tells me that they are smarter than they appear and have ways of sneaking unnoticed into Hogwarts. Maybe you can learn a few interesting things from them. Don't Trust Ron or Granger. _

_Draco_

Fred saved his and George's for last, ignore the three still in the box addressed to them and Snape with the number 2 and 3. Then he stood next to George, who he let open it, because he wasn't sure with his nerves he would have been able too. He took one last breath, hoping his little brother was okay, and read it.

_Fred & George, _

_Hey guys. I'm not sure how to say this. Or if you will even believe me. So I guess I'll start with the beginning. Towards the end of the year, I received a letter for Snuffles. Telling me not to trust Dumbledore. No explanation on why, just not to trust him. _

_I was angry at him at first, and confused. I thought the headmaster was our friend, but I have learned recently, not all those I thought are friends are. Like Ron, please believe me, I heard him and Hermione talking about me. They HATE me. I don't know why. I don't even know if they have always felt that way or if it's something new. I don't know what I did to make them feel that way. I wish I did. That way I could at least understand why they are faking our friendship. With them and Dumbledore, lying to me. I had to question a lot of things lately. Like my other friends. I hated that I started to doubt, everyone. You guys, Remus, even Sirius (briefly), and I pray I judged you right and that by sending you this letter, you understand my doubt. _

_Now as for a bigger bombshell. I'm in the past. With my parents! And Remus and Sirius! They are so different. More happy and relaxed, and it hurts knowing what is going to happen to them. I have to keep reminding myself that I can't save them from it. No matter how much I want to, but I finally got to know my mum and dad, a little. I'm scared to get too close to them, but actually seeing them and talking to them; it's so strange, and kinda great._

_I don't know how we (Malfoy is with me. He isn't an arse, well not completely, or a dark wizard) got here, but Malfoy has found a way to get us home. Hopefully. He sent a letter with all the information, and as much as I dislike Snape and don't trust Malfoy's father, I need you guys to help them. You and Blaise, can get it the castle and the common rooms to get something to use as a tether, and you all (expect Malfoy) can be there to perform the spell. _

_I need you guys to do me another favor though. _

_Look into Sirius's trial. I have been thinking it over, and I can't remember anyone mentioning one. How could he have been sent away if he was never tried? _

_Can you also looked into werewolves getting custody of children. I wanna know why I wasn't sent to him when Sirius was locked away. Why did I have to go to my Aunt and Uncle? I can't believe it was because Remus didn't want me. It doesn't make sense. _

_Also, please ask the goblins about my accounts. I have a theory about something and need you to see if anyone outside of me as access. I have written a letter, giving you permission. I need you to know that it's not that I don't trust you, because I do, but the letter is spelled. It will only open if you are true in you desire to help me. Sorry. _

_I miss you guys,_

_Harry_

"Fucking hell!" his brother shouted as they finished. George turned to him. "I'm going to murder him." He nodded. He couldn't believe what Ron had been doing.

"Umm…" a quiet voice asked, causing both of them to look over at the stunning olive skinned Slytherin, Fred really wanted to get to know him better. He was sure his brother would agree,

"Kill who?" They both chuckled.

Then frowned. "Our brother," he said. "He's been lying to Harry," his brother added.

He bent back down to the box, handed Snape his second letter and third letter, and took his back to George. "It seems we have some other business to attend to," he said looking over the strange group, "before we can leave. However, if any of you which to talk all this over, we have a flat over our shop. You can meet us there tomorrow."

The young Slytherin nodded and he looked to the older two. Who seemed to be having a silent conversation with their eyes. He grinned, it was weird to see someone else do that. _He wondered just how close the two men where that they could? He had known they were friends, and that they both worked with Voldemort, but Malfoy had called Snape Draco's godfather? So they had to be close, at least enough for the elder Malfoy to trust the potions master with his son. _

His brother nudged him, and he looked down at the letter. They both touched it and it gave a soft glow, then unwrapped itself. They looked at each other and let out a relieved breath.


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

_Draco POV_

It took Draco nearly a week to find an event that happened both in this time and their time. An event he could tie their spell to. Link them through time and hopefully bring him and Potter home.

He would have preferred an actual day, he knew that would have been perfect, but he still had no idea if their times were moving in sync or not. So, picking a correct day was damn near impossible unless he wanted to pick one far in the future, but then they would be stuck here, and he didn't want that. So, he used an eclipse.

Two technically. One in their time, the middle of December, and one in their future, the start of October. It left him and Potter, with just over a month here, but it was the closest. He even wrote down 2 others that happened within a few months as a backup.

It had come to him when he was remembering a very excited rant about eclipses happening a few times a year, by Professor Sinistra. After that, all he had to do was remember the dates of the upcoming ones in his time. He sighed and folded the parchment with the dates in half and sealed it.

He looked at five already sealed letters sitting in the center of the table. They were already addressed to the people they trusted back home. Two with Severus's name on them. He quickly added a number three on the one in his hand and dropped it on the pile. There was a trip to Hogsmeade this weekend. Him and Potter had plans to sneak off and go to Gringotts to talk to Grimmhook.

With nothing left to do, he left the room of requirements and headed to the Slytherin common room. Maybe he would get some homework done now that he had done all he could towards getting them home.

Only when he entered the room, he froze, then he blinked, then shook his head. Because _no_. No way in hell was he seeing what he thought he was seeing. Severus in his father's lap. The two pressed close, kissing. He must have made a noise because both older boys stopped and turned to look at him, and yeah, it was his father and Severus.

"I…" He turned and ran out of the door.

When he hit the staircase leading up and out of the dungeon he halted. Where did he want to go? He could go back to the room of requirements, rewrite his letters, because how the hell had he not know about this? or he could find Potter.

He headed for the library. Because if he went back and rewrote the letters now, he would have said something wrong because he was hurt and angry.

Potter was easy to find, hidden away in his usual spot. "P-Evan," he corrected when he noticed Remus sitting at Potter's side.

"What's wrong?" Potter asked, moving to stand up. He waved him off and dropped down onto the floor.

"I…" Fuck, how did he talk about this with the werewolf present.

"Malfoy and S-Prince were making out," he said knowing he sounded more than a little perturbed, and from the way the wolf's eyes darkened, maybe he sounded disgusted as well. Shit. He didn't want Potter's friend thinking he had a problem with two men together.

But before he could defend himself, Potter fell over laughing.

_Harry's POV_

"Malfoy and S-Prince were making out." It took a second for it all to make sense. The horrified pale look on the blonde's face and the words he just said. He tried not to laugh. He really did, but the whole thing was just so fucking strange and wrong. Snape making out with anyone sounded weird but Snape making out with Malfoy's father, he couldn't stop the giggle that broke free nor the full-on laughter that followed.

"Shut it, Evans," he heard Malfoy demand, but it did nothing to stop his fit. Nor did Remus giving them both very confused looks. In fact, it probably made it worse.

When he finally got ahold of himself Malfoy was sitting on the floor across from him, glaring at him. Remus was giving the blonde a strange look, and Harry felt a little bad for laughing.

"What did you do?" he asked.

The proud Slytherin blushed, actually blushed. "Ran," he muttered, and Harry bit his lip, so he didn't start laughing again.

"You know they are going to take that wrong right?" he asked.

"I know," the blonde sighed.

"I'm missing something aren't I?" Remus asked looking between the two of them.

Harry looked over at Malfoy. Hoping the other boy would have something, but Malfoy just looked down.

"Yeah you are," he said to Remus. The other Gryffindor tilted his head but didn't ask any more questions. Harry was grateful. He knew that Remus was brilliant and that even if he didn't ask any questions, it didn't mean he wasn't still trying to figure it out, and while he was a little worried about what the wolf might figure out, he at least didn't have to lie to him again.

"You going to talk to them?" he asked, looking back at Malfoy. The other boy sighed and looked up at him, "I think I'm going to go rewrite a letter for back home." _uh-oh,_ he thought.

Malfoy got up and stomped out of the library. Harry felt bad for him. He knew what it was like to have two people close to him lie. It hurt. He hoped Malfoy would be okay. 

_Draco's POV_

Back in the room of requirements, he grabbed his letters to his father and Severus, debated ripping them apart and rewriting something to show his frustration. Instead he dropped his father's back onto the pile, he may not know all the details about his father's past or love life, but he knew his mother and father's marriage was arranged and that his parents didn't get along well. So, he understood a bit, why his father had never mentioned anything. Though Draco was still upset that he hadn't.

He opened Severus letter and rewrote what he had written, deciding not let his feelings rule him, he added a line about owing him an explanation. His godfather would figure it out. Then he resealed the letter and dropped it.

Now he had to go and try and persuade the younger versions that he wasn't homophobic. He groaned. 

_Lucius POV_

When Luke ran out of the room, he felt Severus heave a sigh, he tried to stop the other boy from slipping off his lap, but Sev wasn't having it.

He sighed, unhappy with the change in mood. Sev didn't even look at him as he walked up the stairs to their room. When he heard the door slam, he slumped back against the couch. _What the hell had that been about? Everyone in their house, knew about them, even Narcissa, could the newest member of their house really not have known? Or worse, did he have a problem with it? _Most wizarding families couldn't care less, but he knew nothing about how Luke was raised. With his luck the younger kid probably came from one of the families that didn't believe in same sex couples. He groaned he was going to have to talk to him.

If for no other reason, then Sev didn't deserve to feel ashamed. Lucius wanted to growl, how a mother could be so cruel towards her own son, he didn't know. But he did know if he ever met the woman, he would hex her.

The common room door opened and in walked Luke, looking sheepish. When he saw Lucius, he lowered his head and walked toward him.

Lucius instincts went haywire, this other boy was submitting to him, and from the posture it was intentional. This boy knew about him or at least that the Malfoy family was one of the descended families and was showing him respect.

"Sorry," the other boy muttered as he came to a stop in front of him. "I don't care what you and Severus do. It just surprised me." There was a flutter of his heart that Lucius was only able to hear because his cat was pulled forward. The boy wasn't lying, but there was something he was hiding.

"Why did you run?" he asked, keeping his voice steady. He heard and saw the other boy swallow.

"I was surprised." Again, he heard the flutter.

Lucius tilted his head and looked over the other Slytherin. The light blonde-haired boy was avoiding his eyes but now stood straight, only his head was lowered slightly. He leaned in close and took in the other's scent. _Lamassu._ He took a step back. That was impossible. Malfoy's were the only family that carried that creature.

"I have homework," the blonde hurriedly said, his voice wavering as he took off and darted up the stairs.

Lucius watched him go, curious. This boy didn't make sense. He had look horrified earlier when he saw him and Sev. Now he apologized and showed his respect, like he would an elder or family member, but still fled when Lucius got closer. Most curious why did he smell like a Lamassu? Could he be a distant relative? It seemed unlike, his family was meticulous of keeping a record of their family members, but maybe somewhere someone got lost. He would have to ask Severus is opinion in the morning.

_Remus POV_

"What was that about?" he asked after Luke had disappeared.

Evan's head dropped and replied, "he didn't know about Malfoy and Prince."

He snorted, "Everyone knows about them." Evan looked up and gave him a wide eyed look. Then seemed to collect himself because his surprised disappeared and he shrugged.

"I'm going to go…" Evan said grabbing his stuff and rushing out of the library, barley missing running into James.

Who stopped and gave the boy a strange look. Sirius behind him sighed and pushed James forward. Forcing their friend to walk until they both dropped down on the floor around Remus.

Siri gave no care as he pressed himself against Remus's right side, in the act of looking at the book that lay forgotten in his lap. James sat to his left, looking off towards the door. Evan just vanished through,

"Does Evan smell submissive to you?" his friend asked looking over at him.

"He is," he said. "And he knows nothing about it." Both pure bloods looked at him surprised.

"He is trying to learn from books and me and his friend Luke have been trying to help, but with no information on which family line he is from, there is only so much we can do."

"I want to help," James said, and he smiled at his friend.

"You know I'm in," Siri added, settling in closer.

When Remus looked over and saw his idiot best friend's eyes start to close he wiggled his body.

James snorted and Siri whined, "Moooooony, a small nap. I promise." And because he couldn't deny his friend anything he stopped moving and picked up his book.

He had just picked up his book, moving his arm over Siri so the other boy could rest comfortably, when James whispered, "full moon's tomorrow. What do we do about Evan?"

Remus lowered his book, and looked over at James. He hadn't told his friends about the conversation he had overheard weeks ago. How both the new kids had somehow known about him. He looked away from James and down at Siri, who's eyes were closed but Moony could tell he wasn't asleep.

"He knows." Siri's eyes shot open.

"What?" James asked horrified, and he could already see the wheels turning in his friends' minds about what to do. It filled him with warmth and just a tad bit of worry, because they would get into trouble to protect him. He sighed and reached down to run his fingers through Siri's hair. His friend glared at him but relaxed a little.

"It's okay," he said. "They don't care."

"_They?_" both his friends asked.

He nodded. "Him and Luke. I heard them talking about it." He shook his head, " I don't understand how they know, but they didn't seem bothered. In fact they joked about it. Kinda like you two." He looked up at James and gave him a smile. His fingers still running through his other friends dark hair.

"You sure?" James asked, sounding protective. He gave him a reassuring smile. "I'm sure."

He could tell they both wanted to protest, trusting someone outside their small group was risky. Something they never did, but when he refused to say anything else, James picked up his supplies and started on some homework. While Siri cuddled closer and fell asleep, pouting when Remus tried to use the hand in his hair. James had chuckled and Remus knew everything was okay.


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24**

_Harry's POV_

Early the next morning Harry scanned the Great Hall for Malfoy. He had checked the Room of Requirements the night before but it had been empty. He was worried, he didn't know how Malloy was taking the news about his father and Snape.

"You okay?" He jumped and turned to look at James who had at some point sat down next to him. He nodded, voice caught in his throat. He hadn't spoken much to either of his parents since meeting them. It was too hard, too tempting to just blurt everything out and ask for help. So, as bad as it sounded he was avoiding being around them, especially if they were alone. Like they seemed to be right now, _where the hell were the rest of them housemates? _ It was easier talking to Lily and James if they were surrounded by other people. Less tempting to make a fool of himself.

"Evan?" James asked looking worried. Harry shook his head, "I'm fine." He gave his father a smile.

James looked around the large room for a second, then leaned in close and whispered, "Remy told me about you, it might not be too helpful, but I have my families journal on our inheritance. If you want to read it over? See if anything helps?"

He couldn't speak but he nodded his head, a lot, he probably looked like an idiot, but his mind was kept saying, _Finally_!

James gave him a concerned look.

"Sorry," Harry muttered, "I...I'm just surprised. None of the books in the library are from any of the families." He smiled at his father, "I didn't think I would get any help. You offering your family book...its…" he shrugged like he couldn't find the words, which he couldn't. "Thank you."

The other Potter gave him a big smiled and brought his hand up to give Harry's shoulder a squeeze. "Glad to help. If you have any questions let me know."

There was another squeeze and the hand started to pull away, as James started turning to face his breakfast something in Harry cried out. He didn't want his father to pull away, to stop talking to him, to stop comforting him. He must have made a sound because James head shot up and he looked Harry in the eye.

He tried to look away embarrassed, but the hand squeezed again and started rubbing soothing circles on his shoulders. He felt his body relax and despite telling himself not to, he leaned against his father.

"He okay?" he heard Siri whisper a few minutes later and he opened his eyes to see Remus and Peter behind his godfather all three moving to join them at the table. He felt his father nod, and he closed his eyes again.

He wasn't sleeping, he wasn't even tired, but there was something warm and cozy about just sitting there with his eyes closed leaning against James, and if his father wasn't bothered or telling him to move, he was going to stay there as long as he could.

Unfortunately, like with all his good ideas, Malfoy ruined it.

He hadn't heard the blonde walk over to the table, but suddenly there was a hand wrapping around his wrist, "let's go, Evan."

He groaned at the pulling and tried to tug his arm back. There was a frustrated sigh and the hand tightened, and that strange tingling at the back of his neck was back.

His eyes shot open and he actually growled at Malfoy. Who looked _sad or maybe guilty? _His brain registered that people were staring at them and that Malfoy still hadn't let go. Part of him wanted to ask why the blonde was sad, but the other part wanted to go back to the comfortable, relaxed, safe feeling he had been experiencing. He tried again to pull his arm away.

Malfoy's eyes darkened, his fingers went from strong and tight around his wrist to gentle and his thumb started sliding back and forth, Harry felt his anger start to slip, and he breathed in deeply, smelling _plums? _

Confused he stood from the table and followed the scent, straight to Malfoy. He leaned in close and yeah, the blonde smelled like plums. He inhaled again, liking the smell. He heard a soothing sound from the blonde, and for some reason when Malfoy pulled on his wrist this time, tugging him away from his family. He followed.

He followed the Slytherin all the way back to the room of requirements. Once inside, Malfoy shoved him towards the couch and knelt in front of him. Causing his stomach to drop, because it felt odd, almost wrong.

"Potter," Malfoy said gently, "you okay?" and just like that Harry's head started to clear. He wasn't sure if it was the oddity of having Malfoy kneeling before him talking gently or if whatever just happened wore off, but suddenly he could think again, and he realized how strange he had been acting. His heart speed and he tried to move away from the blonde, put Malfoy caught both his hands before he could move.

"It's okay," Malfoy said.

"What the hell was that?" he asked, trying not to sound as freaked out as he was.

Malfoy sighed. "You were relaxed, and I mean completely relaxed, not just your everyday comfortable, but the kind were the world slips away and you just want to stay forever. You were content., which meant your guard was down." he opened his mouth to say, so what? How did that explain his strange behavior? But Malfoy held up a hand.

Harry growled low in his throat frustrated. Malfoy shot him a grin.

"Anyways," the blonde said with a pointed look. "You father, Remus, and Black are your family, they make you feel safe and happy, but they also make you drop your guard. That's why I had to get you away. If they had started talking to you, questioning you, we have no idea what you might have said."

"I growled at you," he pointed out. Malfoy chuckled, "Potter, you were safe. How often do you feel that way? Of course you growled at me. You were pissed I was trying to take you away."

Seeing that he had calmed down, the blonde stood up and sat down next to him on the couch.

"How did you get me to follow you? And why the hell do you smell like plums?" he asked turning to scowl at the other teen.

"Plums?" Malfoy asked, head tilted to the side. Then he got a happy smug look in his face. Giving Harry a feeling he had just revealed something he shouldn't have. He glared. Malfoy held up both his hands as if to say he surrendered, but the smirk didn't go away.

"Believe it or not Potter, you trust me," the Slytherin started, "when I realized you weren't cleared headed and wouldn't come just because I said so. I pulled my creature forward, and let my scent wash over you. It helped you feel calm and settle like before, but toward _me, _and the smell of _plums_," said with a huge grin, "was how your submissive side identified me."

"What do you mean before?" he asked.

"When we first got here, you kept seeking me out in your sleep. Remember, you wanted to feel protected and your submissive side felt that around me. Or when in Gringotts when you saw your _bindings," _Malfoy growled the word, it sent a chill down Harry's spine, "I calmed you down."

Harry blushed remembering how he ended up in the blonde's lap.

"Yeah, okay. So you going to explain the plums thing?" he asked looking back up.

Malfoy's smirk widened. "Nope."

Harry groaned and dropped his head. "I'll figure it out. You know?"

The damn Slytherin smiled at him, "I'm sure you will, Potter, but for now what are our plans for tomorrow?"

He looked up, "tomorrow?"

"Hogsmeade," the blonde said rolling his eyes.

"Oh, well the shrieking shack is outside the anti-Apparitions wards,and no one will see us there. So, we sneaking in there apparte to Diagon Alley, deliver the letters and come back. Hopefully before anyone notices we are gone."

"Great plan," Malfoy said, "except neither of us can apparate."

_Fuck,_ he had forgotten that. He knew he couldn't, he just expected Malfoy to know how.

"I'll think of something, just meet me tomorrow at the Three broomsticks." The blonde gave him a doubtful look but shrugged.

"Now we should probably get to class." Harry said, moving off the couch.


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25**

_Draco's POV_

_Plums._ He couldn't get it out of his head. He smelt like plums to Potter. He tried to remember everything Severus had taught him about scent association, but the only thing he could remember at the moment was that the better and more pleasant the smell, the more the creature inside you liked the person, and the more you disliked or hated someone the worse the smell was. His father always smelt like leather and burning wood, a strange combination to many, but it reminded Draco of home, and Severus smelt like a mix of herbs and flowers...and well his father.

Which now looking back, made him realize he should have known about their relationship years ago.

He sighed and ran his hand along the grass he was sitting on. Did him smelling like plums to Potter mean the other boy liked him? Or _fuck, _what if Potter hated plums? _No, _he thought, _if he had he wouldn't have leaned in or followed him back to the room_. He smiled, Potter, or at least part of Potter liked him. _Was it as a friend? _he wondered.

Then shook his head, he had more pressing things to worry about. He stood up and looked back at the castle, he had wandered farther than he should have, especially this late at night, but he had needed to clear his head, and the cat inside him wanted to be outside.

He started back, but a howl in the distance brought him to a stop. He tilted his head trying to pinpoint where the sound had came from. Another howl had him turning on his heel and looking behind him. He brought his cat forward, feeling his eyes change. He searched the tree line of the Forbidden forest trying to find the source. Another howl this one sounding more pained than the first two had him debating heading into the forest.

Something was hurt and with his leopard form not many things would dare attacking him. When a series of loud barks, _a dog?,_and a yelp filled the air, he moved forward. Cautious. As he moved slowly he tried to keep his ears aimed toward the noises coming from what sounded like a fight.

The forest was dark but the moonlight…

"Fuck," he cursed, dropping to the ground letting his feline take over. The only way Draco could explain the sensation to someone else was, it's like stretching. The kind of stretch were you have just woken up and your body _needs_ to extend and release tension. Then afterwards you just feel better. Shifting into his leopard feels like that. Even the relief that comes when he finishes and finds four paws instead of two legs.

His bloodline carried a creature called a Lamassu. It was a basically large wild cat with wings. With the right amount of concentration he could take his cat form without his wings showing. Which is what he did now.

When he had first taken his leopard form, he had been embarrassed. He resembled a Snow leopard in both color and size, even his wings bore the telling spots, and his was smaller than his father's solid black form, but as he grew accustomed to it, he found he was faster and more agile than his father, and that worked perfect for him right now as he headed towards the pained howled in the distance.

He ran as fast as he could, because tonight was a f_ull moon. _Which meant the howling he could hear was from Lupin, and whatever was attacking the wolf had to be large or strong because not many creatures could take on a werewolf. He ran fast hoping he find them in time to help, Potter would be devastated if something happened to the wolf.

Again he heard barking, and it caused him to slow his steps, because _why the bloody hell would there be a dog in the forest?_

A sudden rushing sound aimed at him caused him to leap to the side as a black mass flew through the air and landed not far from him.

A dog. A very large one.

He slowly moved towards it as it whimpered. As his nose got close he was surprised to smell magic and human on the dog. He nudged the dog with his nose and the whimpering got worse. He didn't know how to help but the sound of hooves approaching had him turning his back to the wounded animal. He took a defensive stance, not entirely positive on why he felt the need to protect the canine. He lowered his head and growled low as a large stag came out of the trees.

When the stag stopped walking and looked behind him towards the black dog, he noticed a large gash along it's right side. _Maybe this wasn't the threat?_ He thought, as the stag looked back at him and stomped it's hoof on the ground, angrily grunting at him. It appeared ready to charge. _Or may it was a threat? _He corrected, but the dog behind him whimpered and the stag's eyes darted to it. Draco realized, it was trying to protect the dog.

He slowly moved away. Keeping the hurt animal to his back and his eyes on the large stag, which limped towards the black dog. It leaned down and nudged it a couple times getting a series of whines and then a anger snap to its snout.

Draco wasn't given much time to wonder what the hell was going on because a loud roar sounded from nearby, followed by a yelp. More worried about Lupin then the strangeness of the stag and dog, he took off running.

As he ducked under a large branch, he came across the scene of Lupin's werewolf fighting something that looked like a huge bear. Only it was wrong. Its teeth were far too large and hung outside its mouth, crooked and misshapen. Even it's claws were longer than normal. They almost curled and appeared thicker and stronger than any bear Draco had seen or read about.

He watched as the bear swung its left paw at Lupin already injured side. The wolf, who tried to move out of the way, was to slow as the claws sank into his fur, the smell of copper hit the air, causing Draco to growl.

Both creatures froze. Lupin whimpered, thinking Draco was another threat and tried to back away. While the bear dropped onto four legs and charged at him.

Draco had never been in a fight before, at least not one in his animal form, but his father and Severus had made sure to teach him a few things. So, as the bear charged Draco held his ground, waiting until the last second before leaping to the side. The bear missed him by a hair and slammed into a nearby tree.

While it was stunned, Draco carefully worked his way over to Lupin. Keeping his head low, showing he wasn't a threat. The werewolf seemed unsure, but didn't attack him.

He wanted to check as see how bad the Gryffindor's injuries were but the sound of the bear grunting and getting back to his feet had him spinning around, leaving his back unprotected from the hurt werewolf behind him. He prayed silently that the wolf understood he was a friend and didn't attack him.

Back on its feet, and rightfully pissed off the bear roared, causing the leaves on the trees close to it to quake. The large brown creatures eyes glowed a bright strange yellow as it dropped down and got ready to charge them again. Draco's heart pounded, he couldn't pull the same trick twice, not with Lupin hurt and bleeding behind him. No way the wolf would be able to move fast enough.

He'd have to fight.

He swallowed his fear and lowered his head.

He snarled at the bear, but before either of them could move, the bear was slammed into from the side, by the same stag from before. The impact sent the bear crashing to the ground an angered snarl coming from it, but before it could get back up, the large black dog appeared, sinking its teeth into the bears throat. The bear didn't get a chance to try and throw the dog off, because the dog snapped it's head to the side there was a ripping sound as the dog tore the bears throat out.

Draco was surprised by such violence from a dog. It had seemed so out of place with the other creatures in the forest but when the bears heart stopped, and the dog backed off looking a little _smug_, _How the hell did a dog look smug? _Draco decided it belonged here.

He shook his head, ignoring the weirdness of the creatures and the gruesome scene of the bear and turned to check on Lupin.

The wolf had lowered itself to the ground. He was panting heavily and licking at some of the smaller wounds, eyes on Draco. He didn't feel threatened, just like he was being studied. He wondered how much of the future professor hung around when the wolf was in control.

Whatever it was looking for it must have found, because the wolf dropped it's eyes, Draco let out a relieved breath.

Only to be startled when the damn dog brushed against his side. He growled low, a warning, because he was confused, the dog seemed to huff and rub against him again. Then he moved away and started nosing and licking the wolf. Lupin's wolf seemed to like this because it dropped it's head to the ground and relaxed, letting to dog check and clean its wounds. Next the stag moved, it stopped in front of him and lowered its head, a nod almost, then turned and joined the other two. It took him a second to get it, but when he did he was shocked, they had just thanked him. The dog and the stag, for helping Lupin. He watched them for a second before he felt a little weirded out.

Then he turned his back to the trio and rushed back towards the school.

And of course as he broke from the trees he saw Potter running into them. He growled at the Gryffindors stupidity and raced after him.

In hindsight, tackling the idiot, probably wasn't his smartest idea. Potter cried out and reached for his wand. Sending a stunning spell off behind him. While he was grateful Potter had missed he was also frustrated at the morons stupidity, he huffed at the other boy. Causing Potter's eyes to widen. He could feel Potter's arm twitch, probably getting ready to throw another hex at him, so he dropped his head and gently rubbed his check along the humans. The tender act surprised them both, Draco's cat purred and Potter froze. He did it again, enjoying the pleasant feeling he got from it and the way Potter's scent shifted, becoming lined with oranges and vanilla, Potter's submissive side showing. It was the first time Draco had caught the scent, and both him and his cat enjoyed it. Giving into temptation, he ran his tongue along the same cheek.

The body below him shivered, then green eyes locked on to his.

"Draco?" Potter muttered looking bewildered. In answer he ran his tongue across Potter's cheek again, this time not ending until he hit collarbone. The other boy let out a choked giggle, then winced.

"That's gross," Potter bitched, trying to wipe the spit away. If Draco has been human he would have laughed instead he tried to lick the other boy again. Potter groaned and tried to shove him off. "Get off."

It didn't work. He was heavier in this form, no way Potter could move him. The Gryffindor glared seeming to lose all playfulness from a second ago. "Get off. I have to find Remus." He shook his head.

"Dammit Malfoy!" the other boy cursed. "Get off!" Potter's hands were back shoving at him. Frustrated, Draco growled and lowered his head, nipping at Potter's shoulder.

Potter hissed, "Draco, I heard him, I think he's hurt." He could hear the pleading in the the other boys voice, but he couldn't let him go off into the forest. It was too dangerous. Even if he didn't know Remus was okay, he would have stopped him.

This time when Potter tried shoving and wiggling out from under him, he dropped almost all of his weight onto the submissive. "Please," Potter begged. "He could be really hurt."

Draco sighed, well kinda, more like blew air on to Potter's face, and shook his head. Then he licked the other boy's face again, trying to tell him Lupin was fine.

Potter's eyes widened and seemed to understand him. "He's okay?" Draco nodded.

Potter stopped fighting, and dropped his head and arms to the ground. Then he looked back at Draco, "What about…" he hesitated, "was there a stag or dog with him?" he whispered.

Draco nodded, and left his head tilted to the side, asking why?

"My dad." Potter whispered relaxing again, "and godfather."

_Oh,_ Draco thought, _now it all made sense. _

"They're okay?"

Draco nodded again, lifting his weight off the black-haired boy. Then because he knew Potter, and had no doubt the idiot would still try and race off to check on his family. He took the sleeve of Potter's robe in his teeth and pulled.

He heard Potter sigh, but to his surprise the teen got to his feet and let Draco drag him back towards the castle.

Neither of them noticing the figure hidden in the shadows watching them.


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26**

Harry's POV

It was weird as hell to be dragged back to the castle by his sleeve inside Malfoy's mouth. Even if it was as a giant cat, but it gave him a chance to take in the strangely beautiful leopard Malfoy's fur was a mix of light and dark grey except his underside and throat which were white. He had dark grey or black spots of different sizes scattered throughout his body, and on all four legs he came to Harry's stomach.

Harry had to wonder what the average size of a snow leopard was, he had seen one once at a zoo and he was pretty sure it had been smaller than Malfoy.

Once they were inside the cat looked around before started to stand. It was weird, as the snow leopard pushed itself off the ground and started to stand on two feet, it started to look blurry or unfocus and by the time it stood completely, it wasn't a leopard anymore but Malfoy.

Harry sucked in a breath at the sight. The blonde seemed to ignore him for a second as he brushed the dirt off his robes. Then he looked up and grinned at Harry.

"Awesome right?" Malfoy asked looking very smug.

Harry laughed, "yeah it is." Then he reached out and grabbed the blonde's arm and dragged him throughout the castle until they were inside the Room of requirements.

"What happened?" Harry asked sitting on the couch.

He sat there foot tapping on the ground as he tried not to run out of the room, while Malfoy told him everything that happened in the forest. When Malfoy got to the part about him, he rushed to his feet and ran out of the room. He heard Malfoy curse. He ran through the castle, sticking to the shadows, as he did he could hear the blonde following behind him.

He headed straight for the whomping willow. Knowing that that would be where his father and godfather would take a hurt Moony. Of course when he stopped before the tree and pulled out his wand to freeze it, Malfoy grabbed his wrist and pushed his wand back down.

"The hell...Potter?" the blonde asked, trying to catch his breath.

"If Remus is hurt. I know where he will be. We have to check on him." Malfoy's hand tightened. "The moon is still out. Potter, you have to wait."

Harry growled. He looked back at the tree and dropped his shoulders. Malfoy was right. He let Malfoy lead him back towards the castle. The blonde found them a small spot, hidden by bushes to hide in, they could still see the tree, and that helped Harry relax.

He was too worried to sit in silence, "tell me about your mum?" he whispered.

He felt Malfoy tense but after a second the blonde relaxed.

"What about her?" he whispered back.

"Well, your father and Snape are…" Harry tried to think of a polite way to ask, you father and the future potions master were having sex, but the words failed him. Though he heard a snort from the blonde next to him.

"Shagging?" Malfoy asked with surprisingly little venom in his tone. Harry looked over at him with a raised brow.

The blonde chuckled. "My mother and father, were never in love. Their marriage was arranged by their parents. When the Dark Lord started becoming popular my grandfather was drawn to his power, his ideals. He wanted to be a part of that, and he wanted his family to as well. An alliance with the Black family, an old noble, dark wizarding family was a good start. He gave my father no choice, and to disobey would have meant disownment and exile. My grandfather had many enemies already. They would have gone after my father, just to spite my grandfather. My mother was a Black, born and raised, she was proud to be a pureblood and more than happy to follow a powerful man who preached about purity and killing muggles. The only concession to my father was that she had to give him a child. Something my grandfather knew father wanted." The blonde sighed.

"Abraxas Malfoy passed away shortly before...well you defeated the Dark Lord, but by then mother was about to give birth, and the father was trapped by his allegiances. If he had tried to break away, he would have been killed by Death Eaters for betraying them. And if he had tried to go to the light side, no one would have believed him. So, he stayed, planned, and manipulated his way to gain power inside the Ministry and of course, staying out of Azkaban."

"And now?" he asked, looking at his friend.

"Same really." Malfoy shrugged, "father is powerful, both magically and politically. He has spent most of his life walking a fine line, between light and dark magic to be so, but with the Dark Lord back, he is as stuck as he ever was. If he tried to leave he would have enemies from both sides after him, 'To many enemies and not enough allies.' is what he told me when I asked." Again Malfoy sighed. "As for my mother. She hates him. She knows he doesn't believe in the same things she does, but she also knows he has more influence than she does. So, she keeps quiet. Despite that, their dislike for each other, neither of them will seek another lover. My father has to much honor and mother knows it could ruin her standing if it ever got out." Malfoy dropped his head and glared at the ground.

"What about divorce?" he asked, though he wasn't sure how that worked in the wizarding world.

"It would be seen as him dishonoring the agreement made. He gave his word. Her family would take it personally and shame him. It would impact his standing with a majority of pure blood only exception is a Mate, but those are rare." He must have looked confused, because Malfoy rolled his eyes.

"A Mate, is something that is known but not spoken of. The Descendants like you and I, and some of the other wizards with creature blood, werewolves, vampires, and kin, have been known to be drawn to specific people. Ones that on some insticutal level they can't be without. They complete each other and connect in a way other wizards envy."

"Hell," he mumbled, more information he wasn't sure he wanted to know about his inheritance.

He tried to wrap his head around feeling bad for Lucius Malfoy. He understood people making choices for you, taking away your right to control your own life, and he felt bad. He wondered if the shame things Malfoy had mentioned was really that bad. Surely, not all the pureblood families agreed to forced marriages. He wondered what Sirius or Remus would think.

_Wait,_ He looked over at Malfoy who was staring off into space.

Then he chuckled, gaining the slytherin's attention.

"Malfoy, who is head of the Black family right now?" he asked, smirking.

Malfoy's eyes narrowed, and then after a second widened.

"Sirius," he muttered.

Harry nodded.

"I..."Malfoy open and closed his mouth, clearly trying to take in this information. "When we get back," the blonde said sounding serious, "I'll talk to father." The blonde met his eyes, "will you speak to your godfather?" he asked. Harry nodded. Malfoy smiled happily at him.

They fell quiet after that. Malfoy clearly thinking about the future conversation with his father, and Harry staring at the whomping willow waiting for the moon to fade. When it finally did, he shot to his feet running towards the willow. He heard Malfoy curse, again, as he chased after him.

When he finally reached the end of the long dark tunnel and entered the shrieking shack it was empty.

Remus's POV

He woke up, or regained his mind, whichever it was that really happened, as the moon fell away from the sky. He didn't even have to open his eyes to know it was gone, he could feel it. Just like he could feel the deep slashes in his side and the pain radiating along his spine. He cursed, opened his eyes, and sat up.

Despite the pain, he was already healing, a plus to his werewolf side. He sighed and looked around, there a large black bundle of tangled fur laying next to him and a huge brown stag was at his feet. He tried to find Peter but he couldn't see or hear the rat.

He groaned and reached over. "Siri," he shook his friend, and from the low growl, Sirius wasn't happy about it. He sighed and shook him again. Finally the dog looked up at him, there was an excited whine, before the fur fell away and Sirius jumped to his two feet.

"Moony! You okay?" He nodded and was quickly tackled, letting out a low moan because of the pain from his side.

"What happened?" he asked, pushing his idiot best friend off of him.

"Cursed bear," James voice carried from over them. He looked up at his friend and winced, James had a couple of deep bruises on his face and he seemed to be favoring his left side. He hated when one of them got hurt while out here with him. He had tried many times to talk them out of coming but always failed. He also hated that he would be healed in a matter of hours and his friends wouldn't.

Instead of focusing on what he couldn't change, he focused on what his friend had said. "Here? How?"

"Don't know." James shrugged, "but it was huge. I don't even know anyone that can lay a curse like that. Let alone on an animal as large as a bear."

"Not to mention," Sirius added, "there are no bears in these woods. We have hunted in them for two year now, we would have seen one if there was."

Remus dropped back down against the ground, not unaware that Siri was still on top of him.

"Should I tell the Headmaster?" he muttered.

"No," both his friends hissed. He sighed, already knowing the reasons why. He didn't remember much when he was Moony. Giving any detail about the bear, would make the Headmaster suspicious and place his friends in danger.

"I know," he said before they could start.

"It's dead anyways," Sirius said shifting his weight a little, then dropping his head on Remus's chest. He had to force his heart not to race. Sometimes he loved his friend's lack of care for personal space, but on days after the full moon, when Moony was stronger and harder to fight. It was hard to ignore how badly the wolf wanted his friend, and right now, him naked and exhausted with Sirius just casually using him as a pillow, it took every last drop of his remaining control not to do something stupid.

"You killed it?" he asked look at James, because he couldn't look at Sirius. Though it was Sirius who snorted.

"It was a team effort," James said, sending a frustrated glare at their friend.

"That's…" he started, _Geat? Good? Fucked? _ What exactly would be the right word for holy hell you killed a giant cursed bear?

Siri snickered, obviously knowing what he was thinking, but James frowned.

"It wasn't just us," his friend said, sitting down on the ground next to them.

"There was a leopard. Had to have been an animagus from the way it acted, but why it helped us? Or who it was, I don't know," James said, looking worried.

"It wouldn't have helped us, if it meant trouble," Siri said.

"Possibly," James agreed, "but if it was an animagus it knows we are too."

Remus sighed, "right now, it doesn't matter. You two need to get back to the dorms before anyone notices your gone. Hopefully Peter is already there." They both gave him unhappy looks.

"Go," he said in a stern voice, one he knew worked on both of them. James glared at him, the dominant creature inside him not liking being bossed around, but then he sighed, stood up, dropped Remus's wand next to his head, reached down grabbed a grumbling Sirius and dragged him off.

"Bye Moony!" Sirius shouted as he stumbled behind their other friend.

After that he got to his feet and searched for one of the bags they kept hidden throughout the forest with clothes for him. He found one close the the dead bear, which was convenient since he wanted to investigate it.

There was a smell coming off the bear and the area around it. Moony's sense of smell and his memory recognized it, Luke, the new Slytherin. He exhaled. It would explain why the new kid had kept his secret. Probably how he knew. If he could use his leopard senses while human, he may have scented the wolf inside Remus.

He turned and hissed as the skin on his side pulled at his wounds. Maybe he should rest a bit before returning to the castle. He headed for the shack.

He was just in time to see Luke and Evan stun the willow and head into the tunnel. He stood there frozen for a second. How had they known?

He growled out frustrated, maybe it was time to ask them. He jogged down and into the tunnel before the willow started moving again.

He walked carefully as he neared the entrance to the shake, and as he got closer he could hear voices.

"What the hell?" he heard Luke curse.

"It's where he changes. Or used to, by now I think he changes in the woods with the others," Evan replied. Causing Remus to stop moving. Maybe he didn't have to confront them, all he had to do was listen.

"Explain," Luke groaned, sounding annoyed.

He heard a sigh. "It's safe here. He can change and not have to worry about hurting anyone," Evan said, "but by now, the others have become animagus and he can change out in the forest with them. They keep his werewolf from hurting others..or himself. " Remus's stomach knotted, Evan sounded, so sad for him. He wasn't sure he had ever heard anyone sound like that when talking about him before. He closed his eyes.

"Maybe he wasn't that hurt?" Luke's voice said, surprisingly gentle. Remus opened his eyes and wondered if it was time to rethink his outlook on Slytherins.

"You said that _thing_ hurt him. He should be here." There was a waiver to Evan's voice, the other Gryffindor was truly worried about him.

"Maybe he is still out in the woods with the freakishly large dog and slightly terrifying stag." There was a shifting sound of someone moving and then an "Owww."

"Don't joke about them," he heard Evan snap, but he sounded better, less worried. Remus was betting Luke had made the comment on purpose, but why?

He was debating entering the room when he heard something behind him. He jumped and turned around only to find Lucius Malfoy standing there. He stood frozen.

"Not my fault Potter turns into a stag," Luke muttered behind him. His eyes widen and he felt for his wand. He didn't know what he would do but he couldn't let Malfoy know about his friends.

There was a snort behind him, "I like Siri's dog form more," Evan joked.

Malfoy didn't move, and he couldn't just attack. Which left them both just standing there, listening to the boys in the room.

"I bet my father would love to know about this." Luke said.

"He knows about Remus remember, third year?" Evan snapped. _What the hell? _Remus thought, dying to turn around and go into the room and demand answers.

There was a sigh from Luke, "I'm sorry about that. Alright? We weren't friends then and I didn't know how important he was to you." A sigh, "Not that I think I could have stopped my father."

What were they talking about? How did Evan know him? And why would he be important to him? He felt Moony's need to growl, and he couldn't just stand here anymore. There wasn't much he could do about Malfoy right now, not without starting a duel he was too exhausted to win. So, he let go over his wand and turned around ready to storm into the room and finally demand answers.

Only his arm was grabbed and he was slammed against the wall, a hand pressed over his mouth.

"Wait," Malfoy growled. "I already had suspicions about you, and could care less about Potter or Black. However, I am mostly curious about these two," the slightly taller blonde whispered. Then he slowly let him go and backed away.

He wasn't sure what to do, but he heard one of the other two sigh and the sound of someone dropping down onto the group with a heavy thud.

"What's wrong?" Luke's gentle voice asked, and then Remus heard another thud as the other boy sat down.

"I don't know if I can keep doing this," Evan mumbled.

"We have no choice," Luke said. "Until we find a way home. We are stuck here. Blending in and staying out of trouble," a snort, "is the only way that's possible."

"I'm sick of blending in!" Evan shouted and from the scrapping Remus could hear, it sounding like he struggling back to his feet. "I'm sick of having to stare at Pettigrew's disgusting face every morning, knowing what he will do, what he will become. I'm tired of having to sit and listen to him talk and joke with my father and my godfather like he isn't the one that is going to destroy their lives. Like he is their _friend._ All I want to do is tell Remus to protect Sirius, stop him before he makes the biggest two mistakes of his life." Evan let out a frustrated sob, "I want to tell my parents not to trust Dumbledore, warn them about what's going to happen to them, or hell, ask my father what is bloody going on with me because I feel like I'm going insane."

"You think I don't have questions!" Luke snapped back, "My father is shagging my godfather! And don't you think I want to warn them too? Tell father how miserable his going to be with mother, or about the stupid mind games my grandfather is going to play with him. How he is going to end up trapped and cowering to madman all because of power!" A pause, "But we can't."

"Harry, I know how badly you want to save them. To save everyone, but we can't. If we warn them, we risk changing the future in ways we can't imagine. Remember? You were the one to tell me that.

There was a weak chuckle.

"What?" Luke asked.

"You called me Harry," another chuckle followed by a sigh, "Draco, I just want to go home."

"Me too," Luke muttered.

Remus tried to take it all in, but his mind was spinning and from the bewildered look on Lucius Malfoy, he was just as lost and confused. He was about to ask...well he wasn't really sure what he was going to ask, when he heard movement from the room, two sets of feet moving towards them.

He cursed under his breath, grabbed Lucius arm and rushed towards the entrance to the tunnel before they could be seen.


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27**

_Twins POV_

After they followed the goblin out of the room, they were shown to a different smaller office. An elder goblin sat behind a large wooden desk. "Misters Fred and George Weasley, welcome. I believe you have a letter for me." They both nodded and George handed over Harry's later. They each took a seat in one of the two large chairs sitting opposite of the desk. They watched the goblin for a few minutes while he read over the later.

Then he stood up. "If you will give me a few moments I will get the correct documents."

When he was gone, Fred looked over at George. "What do you think Harry is looking for?"

His brother looked back at him. "Thefts? If I thought someone else had access to our vault that's what I would be looking for." They both sighed.

"What are we going to do about Ron?" George growled.

"First we need to see if it's just him," his brother said quietly, not liking the idea of doubting their family. George groaned. "You don't think dad, or Bill? And I know Charlie wouldn't, he doesn't even really know Harry. Percy hasn't been around-"

"Mum and Ginny," his brother added.

"We start with Charlie," Fred said confidently. "He is the least likely to have been involved in anything involving Dumbledore, he doesn't like the headmaster. Always said something was off about him," George nodded. "Then Bill, he likes Harry, I'm sure of it." They sighed together and added in sync, "then father."

The office door opened before they could discuss it anymore and in walked the same elder goblin as before, only this time he carried a large black box and a frown.

They looked at each other, questioning what could make the goblin look like that, but neither voiced it in fear of upsetting the goblin.

"I'm afraid I have found something troubling," the goblin said, placing the box on his desk and taking the lid off. He took out two aged white envelopes and placed them on the desk, frowning at them.

"What are they?" Fred asked, tempted to stand and grab one, just to see.

"James Potter and Lily Evans wills," the goblin said.

Both twins looked at each other then the goblin confused, why was that a bad thing?

"We don't understand," they said together.

The goblin heaved a heavy sigh, "they have never been read."

"But…"

"That's..."

"Not..."

"Possible."

The goblin nodded, not seeming bothered by their twin speak. "I had assumed that young Mister Potter, would have read them years ago. Or perhaps his guardian. It is most strange that they have not."

"I don't think Harry knows," George said.

"He would have read them," Fred added.

"Well," the goblin looked at them. "Mister Potter has given you both permissions to look at, read, and make adjustments should you see fit of all things pertaining to his account and vaults. That includes these." He waved his hand over the letters.

.

Again, they looked at each other. They were here to see if anyone had been in Harry's vaults. Not see something so personal.

Fred looked back at the goblin and was about to tell him to leave the will's for Harry, but the goblin held up his hand.

"You are thinking of saying no." They nodded. "I would advise against it. Wills can hold important, prudent, information."

They both understood what the goblin was saying, but it still felt wrong. Fred looked over at George. "Should we?" he asked. His twin looked at the envelopes. "If it's as important as it sounds,'' George said with a sigh, "Then I think Harry would be okay with it. As long as we can give them to him later?" The last bit was said to the goblin who nodded.

Fred reached over to the desk and took the first envelope; his hands shook as he opened it.

_The last Will and Testament of James Potter. _

_I know this is supposed to be straightforward and all proper, but if this is my last chance to talk to you, then I will do this my way. Harry James Potter, you have been a blessing and no matter what happens son, please know I loved you very much. Now for the will in which I leave you, my son, four properties and both our family vaults. One vault is like all old families, full things of monetary value, but the other is more sentimental, photos, books, old toys, things that may not be worth much to many but might be to you. I know these will not replace me (and heaven forbid your mother, if something happened to us both) but I hope I leave you with a home to build a family with and some things to remember me by. _

_Potter Manor._ _My Grandfather did not like Potter Manor, he said it was too big and too empty. So, he and my grandmother bought Potter Cottage, where my father and me were raised. I asked my father once why he never returned to the Manor and he said the cottage felt like a home, where as the manor felt like a house. I never visited the Manor, though I had plans to. Perhaps you will go see it for the both of us. _

_A house in Hogsmeade. It has __No Title__, as it was bought as a wedding gift to my parents and they never moved in. I tried to convince Moony to take it and the stubborn man didn't talk to me for a month. Maybe he will listen to you. _

_My family home, which I was raised and now the place your mother and I must return to._

_Potter Cottage_ _in Godric's Hollow_

_And finally, the home we bought for ourselves and hope/hoped to raise you in, __Liliana Cottage_ _just outside Tinworth village. We only got a short while here, never even long enough to invite Sirius or Remus to visit. I had hopes that after the war we would return, but with how things are going, we may never get the chance. _

_I also leave you my cloak, I hope you enjoy it as much as I have. (Your mother isn't too happy about this one, she thinks you shouldn't get it until you are out of school.)_

_For the hardest part, if the worse comes to pass, and should you my son lose not just me but your mother, I name __Sirius Black_ _as your Godfather. If he too should perish, then I name __Remus Lupin, __in his place. You are both great men, and the best friends I could have asked for. Look after my boy. _

_-James Potter. _

Fred wiped a tear from his cheek and turned to hand the letter to his brother, who in return looked stunned over the one he was reading. When George finished, they exchanged letters and now he found himself reading over Lily's Will.

_The last Will and Testament of Lily Evans Potter._

_Harry, _

_I pray you only read this when you are a man. Maybe after you have already started a family of your own and I have gotten to play with my grandchildren. Though I fear that is unlikely. This war has taken so much and to many, I know it will take more still. My only hope is that you are not alone when you read this. Hopefully your father is by your side and if not him then one of those silly idiots he calls his best friends. _

_I think I will make this simple, as I have not the heart to make it long and drawn out. I, Lily Evans Potter, name__Sirius Black_ _as Harry James Potter's Godfather, and with him I know __Remus Lupin __will be there like always saving his friend from his own stupidity, and I know James will name Remus as well, but I feel that with this war and all of our roles in it, that I should name another just to be safe, and if James is reading this I pray you understand my choice. If Sirius Black should be unable, I name __Severus Snape __to take his place. _

_Whether he is placed with Sirius, Remus, or Severus, he is to have nothing to do with my Sister Petunia Dursley. She hates magic and anything associated with our world, I fear for how she would treat him. _

_Harry, I do not know what the future holds. I don't know how you will be raised or by who, and I hope with everything that I am, that me or your father are there, but if not, I know that Sirius and Remus love you almost as much as we do. As for Severus, I wish I had fixed what was broken long ago. He is a good man, though I fear he was and still is a little lost. I have no doubt if asked, he would protect you and care for you. I just hope he can forgive me for the mistakes of a confused and angry young girl. Know this my son, that you are loved. Live well and be happy. _

_-Lily_

"Snape," he muttered and looked over at George, now understanding the stunned look completely.

"Should we tell him?" His brother looked back at him, just as confused.

"Maybe that should be Harry's choice?" George said with a shrug.

"Now, for the rest." the goblin said.

They both sighed.

"These are signed documents from Albus Dumbledore with withdrawals from Mister Potter's vault. On them he has signed as Guardian, but from the Wills you both have read. He is not in fact, Mister Potter's Guardian." George went to say something but the goblin held up his hand, "There are also large money transfers to Petunia Dursley, Vernon Dursley, Molly Weasley, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger. All signed off on by Dumbledore. There a few couple of smaller transfers in the names of Ginny Weasley and Dudley Dursley." The goblin handed them a small stack of papers.

"I do not believe that Albus Dumbledore was aware of Mister Potter second vault as he never received a key for it. So, all of Mister Potter family's person belongs are still intact." The goblin stood up and walked around his desk to stand in front of them.

"I also have a denial of custody form signed by Albus Dumbledore towards one Remus Lupin." Fred felt a wave of sorrow for Harry and Remus, they had been denied a chance at a few happy years all because of the headmaster.

"One for a second tracer spell on Potter's wand," The goblin went on, "several requests for curse breakers for Potter Manor, though it appears the familial wards kept them out, no matter how many times Albus tried." George winced, wondering if the curse breakers were okay, trying to break through familial wards was dangerous.

"Two requests to claim the Potter family seats in the Wizengamot, both denied. An arranged marriage agreement between Harry James Potter and Ginevra Weasley signed by both Molly Weasley and Albus Dumbledore."

"What!" they both shouted jumping to their feet. George held out his hand for the paper, the goblin handed it over. They both looked down at it, and it was true and he wanted to rip it to pieces and from George's grip on the paper so did he. Fred couldn't believe their mother and it explained Ginny's obsession with Harry. They had both tried talking to her over the years but she kept telling them that Harry and her were meant to be. He sighed and looked at his brother, this was all their mother's fault.

Before either brother could rip apart the paper, the goblin took it from George's hands.

Fred cleared his throat, "anything else?"

The goblin nodded and moved back towards the box, he pulled out two smaller boxes and handed one to each twin.

They opened them in sync, both gasping at what was inside.

"The Potter and Peverell, family rings," the goblin said. "Mister Potter is the last heir to both. As far as I can gather Dumbledore knows of the Potter family ring, but also knows he has no claim, even if he was Potter's guardian, I do not believe he knows of the Peverell ring, as Potter's trustees, I leave them in your hands to return to their proper owner when he returns."

After that they placed everything back into the black box, and carried it with them as they left.

The next morning, they sat home the black box on top of their work table, them on their couch with a bottle of fire whiskey.

"Where do we start?" George asked as he sipped his glass.

Fred groaned dropping back against the couch. With his eyes closed he muttered, "Charlie. We still have some of the Veritaserum left over from the Truth or Dare potions."

"You want to slip him Veritaserum?" George asked.

Fred frowned. "What if we ask him to take it? He is our brother he should trust us." George snorted. Fred opened his eyes and grinned. "Okay, so must of the time he shouldn't trust us, but if we tell him it's important. He will." His twin nodded.

"I'll fire call him," George said standing up and walking into their bed room were the fireplace was.

Fred tried to hold back the nervous energy that seared through him, but by the time George walked back into their living room, he was sitting up, foot bouncing on the ground. George gave him a look and turned towards the kitchen. He appeared several minutes later with three cups of tea.

Not long after that Charlie walked out of their bedroom.

"Okay, what's up?" their older brother asked, crossing his arms over his chest and narrowing his eyes at them.

George stood first. "We need a favor?" he said.

"What kind of favor?" Charlie asked looking at George suspiciously. Fred snorted.

"That cup," his twin said, pointing at the third cup on their small coffee table. "Has two drops of Veritaserum in it. We need you to trust us and drink it." Charlie lifted his eyebrows surprised. Then he looked back and forth between them. He must have seen how serious they were because he walked over to the table, picked up the cup, and downed it in one long drink.

Both twins let out a sigh of relief.

"What do you think about Harry?" Fred asked standing up to join his twin.

Charlie gave them a '_what the hell look,' _clearly not expecting that.

"I feel bad for him. He's had a hard life and the pressure the world puts on him is wrong. He's a kid." Their brother lowered his head. Fred looked at George, wondering which of them was going to ask the next question. He could tell George really didn't want to, so he took a deep breath and asked.

"Did you know mum has been stealing from him?"

Charlie's head shot back up. "She what?" he almost shouted.

"Or that Ron hates him?" George asked finding courage in his brother's outrage.

Charlie's eyes went wide. "He wouldn't, they're best mates."

Fred shook his head, "him and Hermione have been lyin'."

"Why?" Charlie asked, moving past them to drop down on their couch. Their brother looked much like they had when they found out. Full of disbelief, hurt, and anger.

"Money," Fred said dropping down next to him.

"Power," George added, dropping down on the other side.

"Dumbledore," they said together.

Charlie let out a choked sound. "You have proof?" he asked them.

Fred used his wand to summon all the papers and floated them to his brother's lap. Him and George sat there quietly as Charlie read over them.

"Why does he want into the Manor so bad?" he asked about a half hour later.

"What do you mean?" George asked.

"Five attempts to use curse breakers to get in, and no telling how many times he tried without them. What could be in there that he wants so badly?" Both twins shook their heads.

"Okay, you guys have to tell me what's going on?" he said handing the papers to George.

The twins looked at each other. "We can't. We can tell you about this, but not about what's going on with Harry right now. Sorry." Charlie studied them. Then nodded in understanding.

"Alright, what about Bill?" his voice broke as he asked.

"Asked you first," the twins said together. Charlie shook his head with a smile. "Not sure if that's a compliment or not." They grinned at him.

Then George sighed, "I'll call him. The Veritaserum is in the kitchen."

Fred got up and walked into the kitchen Charlie following behind him. As he reached for a cup Charlie spoke, "you okay?"

Fred put the cup down on the counter and reached for the kettle. "I don't know. Our family, Mum, Ginny." His brother gasped. "Ron. they have been using Harry. and he trusted them. _Trusted us. _How could we not have seen it?" He looked at his older brother for help, he just didn't understand it.

He poured the tea and picked up the small potion bottle. He tried to pour it but his hands shook.

"I don't think we will understand until we can talk to them about it," Charlie said reaching out to take his trembling hand. Then his brother took the potion and dripped two tiny drops into the cup, he put the top on it and took the cup from the counter.

"Fred." He looked up at Charlie, not realizing he has been staring down at the counter top. "Bill is good. He wouldn't betray anyone. I promise." Fred looked up and tried to give his brother a smile, it was weak at best, But he just didn't have it in him. Charlie sighed and walked out of the kitchen.

He just couldn't believe that he was at a point in his life he was having to doubt his family. The very people he had never doubted. Sure, in recent years Percy has become an arse, but he still thought he could trust him. The fact that his mother and Ron had been doing something so horrible behind their backs to someone he and George viewed as family, it was breaking his heart, and he wasn't sure what he would do if his father had known. He closed his eyes and tried to clear away the tears he could feel building in his eyes.

He hadn't heard George walk in, but suddenly he was wrapped in a warm hug and he dropped his head against his brother's shoulder. He could feel George shaking just as badly as him. They stood there long enough that they heard Bill come in. They didn't move when they heard Charlie greet him. They didn't move until they heard Charlie call them.

"Ready?" he muttered against George's shoulder. His brother shook his head, but pulled away. They took a second to clean their faces, then they walked out to great their oldest brother.

"Hey Bill," they said together faking smiles. Though he didn't look like he bought it because concern spread across his face and he looked over at Charlie, who dropped his head.

"What's happened?" Bill asked stepping towards them worry and fear in his voice.

"Bill," Charlie said, pushing off the couch. "We need you to drink Veritaserum," he said evenly as he picked up the cup and handed it to his brother. Bill looked confusedly at the cup then back at the three of them.

"Why?" he asked, though George felt relieved that his brother hadn't out right said no.

"We can't…" Fred started,

"Tell you." George finished.

Their brother sighed and shook his head, then lifted the cup up and like Charlie finished it all in one drink.

"How do you…"

"Feel about Harry?"

Bill gave them a confused look. "He's a nice kid, a little reckless but brave." They grinned at each other.

"Did you know Ron has been faking his friendship with him?" Charlie asked. Bill shook his head. "No. Why?" he asked, Charlie shrugged. "Probably the same reason mum has been taking money from him."

Bill froze. "What?" he asked in disbelief.

"Her and Ron," Fred said. Bill looked at all of them.

"This has to do with Dumbledore doesn't it?' he asked, with a heavy sigh.

"What do you mean?" George asked.

"A couple of months ago," Bill started, "I caught Mum and Ron talking at an Order meeting. He was complaining about something and asked her if Dumbledore would fix it. She saw me walking in and shushed him. I tried later to ask him what it was about but he just shrugged me off." Bill frowned. "It gave me a weird feeling."

Before they could say more, there was a knock at the door. The twins winced. They had forgotten who they had invited over. George pulled out his wand and summoned all the bank documents. Then ushered both his older brothers into his bedroom, while Fred went to answer the door.

He smirked when he opened it to find Blaise Zabini, standing there.

"Well Hello," he said cheerfully. The younger Slytherin blushed, "Hey."

In their bedroom George had shoved both his brothers towards the fire place, picked up floo powder and said, "Shell Cottage."

"What the hell George?" Bill asked as he stumbled into his home.

"Sorry, we...umm…well when we found about this stuff." He shook the papers. "We also learned some other stuff, but there was a Truth Circle involved, so..." he shrugged, "and there were others. We invited them over today to talk about it all. You guys can't be there. Sorry." He took a breath to stop his rambling, not used to doing _all_ the talking. "But I can leave these with you, and you guys can come up with a plan. We need to find a way to undo what the Headmaster has done." He looked back towards the floo. "Maybe see if one of the houses is safe? I know Harry hates his Aunt and Uncle. I think it would do him good to have somewhere to go that Dumbles and our mum or Ron or the ministry-"

"That no one knows about," Charlie said cutting him off, a smirk on his face. George nodded.

The two older Weasley's looked at each other.

"I would also like to talk to a few of the Curse-breakers see if I can learn anything about what Dumbledore wants from Potter Manor." George wasn't sure. "What if someone tells him?" he asks.

His brother rolled his eyes, "I'll be careful. Promise."

"Now go!" Charlie said, shoving him back towards the fireplace, "and George," He looked at his brother an eyebrow raised. "You two be careful too."

He smiled. "You know us." Then he spun around and grabbed the floo powder as he called out his home, he heard his brother mutter, "I know that's what worries me." He smiled as entered his bedroom.

He hadn't been gone long but when he walked into his living room, Blaise was sitting in the middle of the couch, Professor Snape to his right and Fred to the left. From the playful grin on his brother's face he was having fun teasing the olive skinned Slytherin.

"What'd I miss?" he asked.


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter 28: **

_Lucius's POV_

Lucius had sat in his library all night thinking over what he had learned. He couldn't believe that Draco was in a different time. Let alone far enough back to being going to school with a young version of himself. It was almost maddening to think about and a bit worrying, there were things in his past he would rather his son not know about it. He had spent a few hours after leaving Gringotts talking to people in places of power, a few Ministry workers and an Auror he knew was loyal to Dumbledore, hoping to learn anything about the Boy Who Lived disappearance , but he had found nothing. It seemed that like him, someone was hiding the fact that Potter had gone missing.

For now that was a good thing. It meant no one was looking to blame Draco for whatever imagined slights he might have done to Potter. Lucius was relieved that only a small group of people knew about Draco's disappearance. He wasn't sure about the Weasley twins but they seemed to care for Potter, so he imagined they would keep quiet. As for Sev he trusted the man with his life and that of his son, he knew his old friend wouldn't tell anyone. His wife didn't know, Narcissa would cause problems if she found out. So he let her believe that Draco was fine at school.

As for the school, luckily it has been Sev, that had noticed Draco missing. His son had missed Potions and Sev had gotten worried and had gone to look for him. When he couldn't locate him he sent an owl straight away informing Lucius that his son was gone. Then he told that fool of a headmaster that the Malfoy heir had been sent home for a family emergency. For now the lie was believed. Lucius just hoped that the two boys returned before the truth got out.

He would have to think of contingencies for if it somehow got out that either boy was missing, and it was strange to him to be worrying about Potter, but his son, young and foolish had gone and befriended him, perhaps even loved, so for now he would do as his son asked.

Which meant he had a werewolf to track down and a meeting to attend. He wasn't sure which made him cringe more a meeting with a werewolf or stepping foot into a Weasley home. Though he had to admit the twins had surprised him, they had joined him in the circle even before Sev. Which meant they held a great deal of loyalty and trust in the young Potter.

He sighed and stood from his chair, he couldn't hide in his library forever.

"Jexa," he called out. A soft pop sound and the house elf appeared. She bowed her head. "Yes Master?" she asked quietly. Her shy manner irritated him but she was Draco's favorite, for some reason, so he never yelled at her for it.

"I need you to find Remus Lupin." She looked up at him. "Yes Sir," and with another pop she was gone.

While he let her search, he took a bath and changed.

While he was getting dressed, she appeared. "Found him, Master." He nodded.

Hoping he didn't regret this, he summoned the letter "Take me to him."

Jexa took his arm and did the house elf version of apparition. He found himself standing just outside a small worn down building with a dark sign hanging over the door. It was a cafe he had never heard of, with a sigh he waved the elf off and entered the building. It took him a second of scanning the surprisingly crowded inside before he spotted the sandy haired man he was looking for.

The look of fear that crossed the man's eyes as he approached the table made him feel uneasy. He held up his hand. "I'm here because of my son. I mean no harm. I swear." There was a gentle hum in the air as he made the promise. The wolf must have felt it because he relaxed and gestured to the seat across from him.

Instead of saying anything he reached into his coat and pulled out the letter, then slide it across the table to the other man. Lupin looked unsure, but he picked it up and read it. It didn't take long before the man looked up at him clearly confused, though it seemed the man was as smart as Lucius remembered because instead of demanding answers, he stood up and grabbed his coat.

"Maybe we should talk somewhere else," He said and waited for Lucius to stand. He nodded and got up. Once they were outside he turned to the man, "we can not go the the manor." Lupin scoffed, "I know a place. If I may?" he asked raising his hand leaving it hanging just about Lucius's arm. He didn't like it, everything in him told him not to go with a potential enemy somewhere unknown, but he trusted his son, he nodded, not missing the surprise in the wolf's eyes.

Lupin placed his hand on his arm and appreciated them. Lucius was surprised to find himself outside a small hut, on what looked like an empty beach. The smell of salt heavy in the air. He hated beaches the salt in the air tended to impact magic, making it harder to work, and when the door opened and a very confused Sirius Black walked out, he understood why.

On instinct he grabbed his wand. He saw Black do the same, but before either of them could cast a hex, Lupin placed himself in the middle of them, his back to Lucius, facing his lifelong friend.

"He knows where Harry is," the wolf said. Lucius wanted to roll his eyes, that was not the smartest way to start this conversation. Black growled, apparently getting the wrong idea.

"_Padfoot. No_." Lucius head spun at the power of the command coming off the werewolf. Surprise didn't cover how he felt, he had always assumed Lupin was a submissive wolf. The man was reserved, quiet, and shy in the way he seemed to like to disappear into the background and let people forget he was there, but it seemed Lucius was mistaken, Black let out a whine and lowered his head.

"Interesting," he whispered, Lupin looked over his shoulder at him, eyes amber and narrowed. He understood the warning and bowed his head slightly. Respect not submission. Lupin nodded.

"Let's take this inside," Lupin said, moving forward shoving his friend back into the hut. He followed them inside, wondering how the truth spell would react. He had been given permission to tell Lupin but not Black.

"He might not be able to stay," he said once he found himself in a sitting room. Lupin shoved Black down onto one of the chairs and pointed to the other, telling Lucius he could sit. He thought about not doing it but the place seemed clean and it would be impolite not too.

"Can't stay for what?" Black asked, glaring at him.

"From what I can gather," Lupin said sitting down next to his friend, "Harry and Draco are somewhere together, _as friends_," he stressed looking at Black. "They sent a letter, and I am assuming you were only allowed to read it after stepping into a Truth Circle." Lucius nodded.

"Somehow Draco placed in an expectation for telling me. Which is incredible," the man grinned, "I wish I could have worked with him more. Brilliant student." Lucius let himself smile.

"Anyways, I believe I should be able to read the letter out loud to Sirius. Then he can go make lunch in the kitchen while you give me the rest of the details," he agreed that it would work, he thought about saying no, just because Black hadn't been named in the letter, not as friend or enemy, but Lupin seemed determined and he could always wipe the man's memory later, if needed.

So, he nodded then sat and listened as the werewolf read out the letter. Grateful when he left the last bit unsaid.

"_Fuck," _Black cursed. "This is my fault. I told him not to trust that old coot." Lucius leaned forward curious as to why, but Lupin smacked his friend upside the back of his head. "You didn't send Harry off, Merlin knows where. Now please go make lunch." Black groaned but got up.

As he walked out of the room Lucius ears caught him muttering about pushy werewolves, manipulative old men, and hating cooking. He tried not to find it amusing but failed. It seemed Black reminded him a bit of Severus which given the animosity between the two shouldn't have amused him, or perhaps that's why it did.

"The past," he said when Black was out of earshot. Lupin looked at him, at first he could tell the man wanted to say bullshit but he seemed to be thinking about it, then he placed his head in his hands. "Tell me everything."

So, he told him about the meeting at the bank, the circle, and the meeting at the twins later that day. It took a little over an hour, before he had finished and Lupin called Black back into the room. Lupin was faster about telling the story as he filled in the other man while they ate.

Lunch went by surprisingly well right up until Lupin told Black he couldn't come with them to the meeting.

"Why the hell not," the man shouted bouncing to his feet.

"Siri, You're wanted." Black growled and Lucius was curious about the canine smell that filled the air, he hadn't known the Black line carried a creature, in fact, he was sure they didn't. Narcissa would have told him, if only because of Draco.

"Fucking ridiculous," Black yelled. "I'm innocent. I should be able to be there for my Godson!" Then Black dropped down in his chair. "I lost 13 years, Remy I just want to protect him." Lucius found himself feeling bad for the man, if he wasn't able to protect Draco, he wasn't sure what he would do. If Sev wasn't as well, it was unthinkable. Though how no one knew the small fact about Black being Potter's godfather was astonishing. _Surely someone in the ministry would have stumbled across the paperwork about it by now. _

"I know," Lupin whispered kneeling down in front of his friend, feeling that this was personal, Lucius quietly got to his feet and walked out of the hut. He didn't have to wait for long for Lupin joined him.

The sandy haired man wore a frown.

"Is he truly innocent?" he couldn't help but ask. He had heard the rumors about it, even about Pettigrew's supposed involvement but the Dark Lord didn't seem to want to fill anyone in on the details and it wasn't like he could ask at the Ministry.

"Yes," Lupin said low, and Lucius could hear the growl buried beneath the word. "Dumbledore knows. We have been trying for years to get him to call an emergency hearing, but he kept giving reasons on why the timing wasn't right." The man sighed. "Now I'm thinking it's because if Sirius was cleared, he would get all rights to Harry and it seems Dumbledore doesn't want that."

He hummed in agreement. He wondered just how much power the old fool had over Potter, and why he was afraid of losing it. He had always assumed Dumbledore's fascination with the Boy That Lived was because he was a beacon for the light side, but it seemed he was missing some information.

It was infuriating.

"I can apparate us to the twins' I have been there before," Lupin said, not noticing his frustrated mood. He nodded and moved closer to the wolf. Lupin gave him a strange look, like he didn't believe this was real. A feeling Lucius understood all too well.

When Lupin pulled out his wand before taking his arm, he tensed, the wolf saw it and froze. "Disillusionment," the man muttered.

"Alright," he replied relaxing. Surprisingly it wasn't hard to trust the wolf at his word. He shouldn't, but he remembered enough about their years at Hogwarts to know Lupin wasn't vindictive or cruel, he had a sense of nobility that Lucius had always felt in awe of, not that he ever said it. To anyone, ever.

After Lupin cast the he took Lucius's arm and appreciated them.

Lucius found himself in a small alley behind Weasley's Wizard Wheezes joke shop. Lupin still holding his arm, lead him around the front of the store and around the small crowds of shoppers, up the staircase and then through a door he hadn't seen and up a smaller more narrow staircase. At the top of those stairs stood another door. This time Lupin stopped before it and looked back at him. The wolf seemed to realise then that he was dragging Lucius around because his eyes widened and he let go. He turned back to the door and knocked.

_Twin's POV_

George was starting to wonder two things, how far he and his brother could push flirting with the young Slytherin sitting on their couch before Snape snapped and murdered them, and if they should just assume that the elder Malfoy wasn't coming and start.

Of course as he thought it there was a knock at their door. He heard his brother sighing before he pushed himself off the couch and went to the door.

Fred was only slightly annoyed at Malfoy's timing, he tried not to frown as he opened the door. Though he shouldn't have worried because he gasped in surprise to see not only Malfoy standing there but Remus.

"Umm," he looked between the two, confused. Remus smiled at him and handed him a piece of parchment. Still lost he took it and started to read it, he froze before looking at Malfoy to make sure it was okay when he saw that it was the man's letter from the bank. The blonde nodded and he went back to reading. When he finished he handed the parchment to Malfoy and showed them both in.

"Hey Remus," he said smiling.

"Hey Fred." The werewolf grinned, Fred groaned. Him and his brother had been trying for years to confuse the man, but always failed. Somehow during their fourth year it had become a game. One the older man seemed to enjoy because he never put a stop to it.

"Lupin," Severus said as they walked into the room, he did not look happy.

"I brought him, Severus," Malfoy said moving past Fred and Remus to stand by his friend.

"How?" Blaise and George asked together, gaining a grin from Fred, an amused look from Remus and a groan from Snape.

"It seems," said Fred. "That the younger Malfoy is quite talented, he wrote in an exception for Mister Malfoy to tell Remus." There was a chorus of questions, but Snape stepped forward "_Enough." _

The power in the word hummed around the twins. Their inheritance had surprised them, meaning that they hadn't been expecting one. Their mother swear her family, the Prewett, wasn't from one of the Descendant lines nor held any creature blood, and the Weasley family according to their father hadn't had a member manifest any abilities from an inheritance in generations.

So, on their 16th birthday when they woke up heads pounding, ears ringing, and the strongest itch to cause more mischief than ever before, they had been astonished. They had kept it a secret slowly figuring out their new abilities together and enjoying the perks that came with them. One of which was not being submissive or dominant. While Fred was more laid back and George was a bit of a control freak, that was all them no inheritance needed.

Meaning that Snape's command had no effect. Even if they could feel it's power.

Nor did it seem to affect Blaise who just looked at his Professor in surprise. The elder Malfoy's eyes narrowed at his friend, probably irritated, but Remus growled. Causing the hair on the back of their necks to stand, and thick tension to fill the air.

Fred, who was still standing close enough to Remus to feel the wolf's power react, took a step away, because as much as he liked the man, standing next to an angry werewolf didn't seem smart.

"_Severus,_" Malfoy commanded and then more carefully said, "Lupin."

George shivered as both men turned to glare at the blonde.

"Severus, I have recently learned that Lupin is quite dominant, it is unwise to give him orders." The room watched as Snape's eyes widened in surprise. Then shocking everyone the Potions Master lowered his head slightly, the tension in the room dissipated.

"Well," George said, "I'm surprised." Blaise snorted then tried to cover his mouth to hide his laughter, but it seemed like it was the right thing to do because Remus chuckled.

There was a sigh from Snape, "What I was trying to do was to quiet down the room so we can discuss what we are going to do about Potter and Draco."

"Lucius told me that Draco and Harry have a plan? A Ritual?" Lupin asked, the people in the room nodded. He looked at Severus. "Do you have the supplies for it?" The potions master thought about it, "All but thorn-apple but I have been assured the twins can get some, and the items needed to tether both boys."

Both twins snorted, "have some."

"It's great for our Dragon treats-." Fred said. Getting a startled look from just about everyone other person in the room.

"While poisonous to most it animals-" George added.

"Dragon's are drawn to it," Fred went on.

"Charlie hates it," They said together, grinning. They had a habit of sending some in the packages they owled their brother. They told him it was because they knew the dragons enjoyed it but the truth was they loved how irritated his brother seemed to get. They always pictured him getting ganged up by the dragons as they tried to get to the treats.

"As for the teather," George said looking at his brother eyebrow raised, thinking about Harry's cloak. It was something that mean a lot to their young friend, slash brother.

"We think we know what to use for Harry," his brother said understanding him.

"It won't work," said Remus. Both twins turned to look at him, heads tilted to the side with questioning looks. "You're thinking about his father's cloak?" the werewolf asked to make sure. They both nodded. "It won't work, because it is there in the past as well. With James. Using something in both times would confuse the spell."

"Oh," they said, looking back at each other trying to think of something else.

"What about Horntail?" Fred asked.

"What _is_ Horntail?" Snape asked sounding exasperated.

"His dragon," George said, as if that answered Snapes question. From the annoyed look on the professor's face all it did was irritate him more.

"His mini dragon from the tournament," Fred said. "He kept it. It normally flies around the dorm causing little-"

"-sparks, trying to scare his doormates," George said excitedly

"It's kinda cute."

Snape sighed at their twin speak but nodded. "I believe that would work. How about for Draco?" He asked looking back at Malfoy and Blaise.

"I actually already thought of that," Blaise said, sending a questioning look at Malfoy. The elder blonde man looked curious and nodded.

"In second year, he found a black quartz out along the end of the forest. It took us months but we charmed it into a bracelet. He normally wears it everywhere, but I saw it in the dorm a couple of days ago. Would it work?" he asked both Professors.

The two adults look at each other. "It should," said Remus.

"We have a week," Remus said, "for you three to get the correct items, and for us to sneak into the school and set up the ritual. Severus, you have seen it, do you think it will work?"

"For such a powerful ritual it is surprisingly simple, Draco did well. It will work." There was a relieved sigh from most in the room.

"So, " Fred said, walking over to Blaise. "How do you feel about sneaking around Hogwarts with us?" He grinned over at his new friend, who blushed a little before grinning back, "sounds fun." There was a groan which caused Fred and George to look over at their old Potions Professor. The man didn't say anything just glared at the three of them.

It was Remus that started chuckling. "I think he fears you have corrupted one of his Slytherins."

This got a snort from Malfoy, "I've known Blaise since he was a child, he does not need to be corrupted by the twins, he seeks trouble enough on his own."

"Really?" they said turning to grin at the other boy.

"Now you have done it," Snape muttered. "Blaise, we are leaving, I need to get you back to the school before anyone notices you are gone." George watched as Blaise frowned, then dropped his shoulders resigned.

"It's okay," Fred said.

"You will see us tomorrow," George added. Blaise gave them both a questioning look but his arm was grabbed by Snape and then they were gone.

"Gred," his brother whined.

"Yes Forge?" he said turning to look at his twin.

"I want one."

There was a snort and a chuckle from the two other adults. Then the elder Malfoy bowed his head and apparated out. Remus however dropped down on their couch, looking exhausted. Fred rushed to the kitchen and grabbed him a cup of tea.

While George sat down next to him. "We have a lot to talk about," he said, using his wand to summon to two pieces of parchment that hadn't been sent with his brothers.


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter 29**

**Lucius's Pov**

Luc's feline was on edge. It had been four days. It had started when the new kid Luke arrived at Hogwarts. The kid confused him. Half the time the creature inside him wanted to protect Luke and the other half it wanted to growl and threaten what it saw as an intruder to his territory.

It hadn't been so bad when he had Sev to help balance him out, but his mate was avoiding him. Had been since Luke caught them making out in the common room. Even though Luke had apologized first to him and then later to Sev, his lover was still feeling uneasy. Which meant Sev was keeping his distance until he stopped worrying about whatever bullshit his father had put in his head. Sev's mother was pure-blood and a creature like them, so she understood about mates. His muggle father however didn't. He was disgusted with the idea of his son with another man.

Over the years Luc had to learn to be patient, something new to him, as Sev warmed up to him, but last year Sev had stopped resisting the draw between them and they had started getting closer. It had been fantastic. Which meant it was going to tear him apart when he had to end it.

He hadn't told his father about Sev, and he never would. He knew his father had plans for him. Plans that a mate would interfere with. He had no doubt that if his father learned about his mate, something horrible would happen to Severus. So, he kept it secret. Oh, he let the whole school know they were messing around, but he made sure that was all they knew. It would have been weird if he hadn't taken a lover that wasn't his betrothed. It was an unspoken tradition for pure-bloods males in arranged marriage to fool around with others before they were married. Some nonsense about getting it out of their systems.

Sev knew all of this of course. They had even entertained the idea of running away together, but they knew it would never happen. Abraxas Malfoy was too influential, too powerful, to let his son run away from him. So, Lucius knew in a few short years he was going to be married to a woman he could not stand and that he would lose his lover, his mate, but for now, he was going to hold on to Sev as tight as he could. If that meant giving him space to sort out his head, so be it. Instead of going to his mate when he needed to take the edge off, he went to the Forbidden Forest.

He hadn't even gotten the chance to change his shape when he heard the sounds of a fight. He probably should have turned and headed back to the school, but his curiosity got the better of him. Whatever creatures he had expected to find, it wasn't a Lamassu protecting a werewolf. Nor that of a huge stag and dog attacking what appeared to be a large bear. He backed away when the dog went for the bears throat.

His mind raced as he went over what he saw. He didn't care about the stag or dog, and he had already had suspicions about the werewolf. It was the Lamassu that had him confused. That was his family's creature. It only came from someone with Malfoy blood. Which meant Luke, because he was certain it was Luke, was a Malfoy, but that didn't seem possible. Pureblood families kept perfect records of their families. Even bastards and squibs. He or his father would have known about another member of their bloodline.

He was exiting the trees when he heard someone rushing towards him, he cursed and hide behind a large tree. It gave him a perfect view of Luke's clouded Lamassu form tackling the other new kid Evan.

He had assumed Gryffindor had known about his friend but when the dark-haired boy reached for his wand, he had to bite back a threatening growl. Not that Luke seemed worried. The younger boy just huffed at his friend and rubbed against his cheek. It was something their kind did to comfort family, lovers, or really close friends.

He sighed, when the spotted Lamassu started purring. It seemed Luke held some affection for his friend. Luc wondered if the other boy knew. He was tempted to step out from his hiding place and surprising them, especially when Luke started licking his companion, but before he could Evan spoke.

"Draco?" the boy laying on the ground said, sounding bewildered. _Draco? _Luc thought.

"That's gross," Evan complained and he tried to shove his friend off him. Luc was impressed, not many would try to shove a creature around. Most feared they would attack if pushed or manhandled.

"Dammit Malfoy!" the boy shouted. "Get Off!" Luc's mouth fell open. So, Luke was a Malfoy, and he knew it. _But how? Was it possible his father knew? What if Luke was an illegitimate child? _It seemed strange but not impossible.

He missed some of what Evan said next but when the Gryffindor asked if someone was okay, he focused his attention.

"What about...was there a stag or a dog with him?" Was the younger boy asking two he had seen with Lupin? _Did Evan know it was Lupin?_ Perhaps that was why Luke or Draco was protecting him.

Luke nodded and tilted his head. Luc was impressed when Evan seemed to understand what his friend was asking.

"My dad." _What? _"And godfather." _What? How could two adult Animagus be wondering around school grounds? And why would they be protecting Lupin?_

He watched as Luke got off his friend and dragged him by a sleeve back towards the school. Then he sat down on the ground back against the tree and tried to make sense of what he had seen tonight.

First, he was happy to know he was right about Lupin. _A werewolf running around the school,_ he huffed, _Dumbledore was insane. Someone could get seriously hurt. _Though he had to admit, Lupin was in his 6th year and so far, no one had figured out what he was and no one had been killed or maimed, so maybe the wolf had more control then Luc had been led to believe was possible.

He didn't think too hard about Evan or the two Animagus he had seen. He didn't much care about them. What he cared about was Luke, who was a Malfoy he had never heard about. It caused an anger to build in his stomach, but it quickly faded. If his father had another child, a male to carry out the family name. _Maybe he could have Sev?_ After all his father only needed on heir.

Luc sat there for what felt like hours imagining a future with his mate. One where they didn't have to hide or be afraid of his father finding out about them. He was pulled out of his day dreaming by Lupin limping past him towards the school. He felt pity for the other boy. He could smell the blood and pain on him and he wondered if every month was like this for Lupin. He wasn't sure he would have had the strength to carry on month after month if it had been him.

He sighed and got to his feet. _Might as well make sure he makes it back to the tower._

Only Lupin didn't go back to the tower. He headed for the cursed willow tree, and for the second time that night Lucius's curiosity had him walking into the unknown.

He had to wait long enough for Lupin to disappear into the dark entrance and when he carefully followed behind, he was more worried about keeping hidden then listen for anything so he only became aware of the conversation going on in an unseen room when Lupin let out a gasp.

"They keep his werewolf for hurting others… or himself?" he heard and watched as Lupin paled. The werewolf closed his eyes and leaned against the wall of the tunnel they were in.

"Maybe he wasn't that hurt?" Luke's voice carried through the air. Luc shook his head; this younger Malfoy was too free with his feelings.

"You said that _thing_ hurt him. He should be here," Evan said.

"Maybe he is still out in the woods with the freakishly large dog and slightly terrifying stag." Luc saw Lupin's lips twitch at the comment and wondered if the man was going to smile. There was a shifting sound of someone moving and then an "Owww."

Luc smiled at the thought of the younger Malfoy getting swatted for his comment.

"Don't joke about them," he heard Evan snap, though the Gryffindor didn't seem as angry or worried as he had before.

He must have made a noise because Lupin's head snapped around and looked at him. They both froze.

"Not my fault Potter turns into a stag," Luke said from the other room, and Lucius found himself tilting his head to the side. That didn't make sense, Evan had said his father and godfather were the Animagus. Potter was too young to have a son, unless he meant Fleamont Potter, James's father.

Lupin got a panicked look on his face, and Luc was starting to think that maybe Lupin and Evan knew each other. It would explain the ease with which the new kid had fitted in with Lupin and his friends.

"I like Siri's dog form more," he heard Evan joke, and now he was completely lost again, because wasn't Siri, Black's ridiculous nickname from Lupin? How could Black be Evan's godfather?

He watched as Lupin's eyes narrowed and he got a confused look on his face. It seemed the werewolf had questions of his own about what the two boys were discussing.

"I bet my father would love to know about this," Luke said.

"He knows about Remus remember, third year?" Evan snapped. He and Lupin watched each other, waiting for the other to make a move, as they heard Luke sigh, "I'm sorry about that. Alright? We weren't friends then and I didn't know how important he was to you." A sigh, "Not that I think I could have stopped my father."

He was tempted to ask Lupin if he had any idea what they were talking about? If someone knew about Lupin and something had happened in their third year? Sure, the wolf would know about it? He gulped when Lupin's eyes started to glow amber. He wondered how much control over the wolf the sandy haired man had. Then Lupin surprised him by turning towards the room. Luc didn't even think about it; he lunged forward and grabbed the man's arm and slammed him against the wall. Dropping his wand in favor of covering the wolf's mouth.

"Wait," he growled. "I already had suspicions about you, and could care less about Potter or Black. However, I am mostly curious about these two." Lupin looked unsure, but he gave a small nod and Luc let him go and backed away.

"What's wrong?" They heard Luke ask softly.

"I don't know if I can keep doing this," the other boy replied

"We have no choice," Luke said. "Until we find a way home. We are stuck here. Blending in and staying out of trouble," a snort, "is the only way that's possible." Curiosity was eating at him. Nothing the two boys said made sense and from the frustrated groan Lupin let out, the wolf felt the same.

"I'm sick of blending in! I'm sick of having to stare at Pettigrew's disgusting face every morning, knowing what he will do, what he will become. I'm tired of having to sit and listen to him talk and joke with my father and my godfather like he isn't the one that is going to destroy their lives. Like he is their _friend._ All I want to do is tell Remus, protect Sirius, stop him before he makes the biggest two mistakes of his life. I want to tell my parents not to trust Dumbledore, warn them about what's going to happen to them, or hell, ask my father what is bloody going on with me because I feel like I'm going insane." _Wow, _he thought. The little Gryffindor had a lot of anger inside him.

"You think I don't have questions! My father is shagging my godfather! And don't you think I want to warn them too. Tell father how miserable he's going to be with mother, or about the stupid mind games my grandfather is going to play with him. How he is going to end up trapped and cowering to madman all because of power…but we can't." Luc's stomach dropped. Something inside him screamed that he was missing the obvious. That what these two were saying was important and what they were talking about was life altering but it didn't make sense.

"Harry," Luke was quiet now. "I know how badly you want to save them. To save everyone. But we can't. If we warn them, we risk changing the future in ways we can't imagine. Remember? You were the one to tell me that."

_Save everyone? _How were two boys supposed to save anyone, and why did Evan think it was his responsibility to save them. He must have missed the rest of the conversation, because Lupin grabbing his arm and dragging him out of the tunnel caught him by surprise. They rushed out and ducked down behind the tree. Evan and Luke walked out just seconds after they had hidden.

They waited there in silence as the two disappeared back into the castle, and just when he thought he could breath, the tree started to move. He heard Lupin curse and they both dodge an incoming branch. They got lucky. They had been fast enough to roll away from the tree and put enough distance between them and it, that it couldn't try and hit them again.

Standing a few feet away from the tree he looked at Lupin. The wolf was extremely pale and looked wobbly on his feet. Lucius remembered that the wolf was hurt and rushed over to him. He saw the surprised look on the other teen's face, when he took Lupin's arm and put it over his shoulder, but neither said a word.

He helped the Gryffindor back to the school and then into an empty classroom. It was strange how light the wolf was. Sure, he had enhanced strength due to his inheritance but still he felt the other boy should have weighed more. He didn't comment on it. It wasn't his place, just helped Lupin into a chair and then dropped down into the empty one next to the wolf.

"What the hell?" Lupin asked after a few long minutes.

He snorted, "my thoughts as well." They fell silent again. It gave Luc time to get his thoughts in order. Not that it did him much good. There were still too many things that didn't add up. He looked over at Lupin, who was staring at the floor, maybe if the two of them worked together they could put together so of the pieces.

"Potter and Black they are Animagus?" he asked. Lupin raised his head, fear in his eyes. "I said before, I don't care. I am just trying to understand." The other teen gave him a curious look, sighed, then nodded. "James is a stag, Sirius a dog."

"Before the tunnel. I heard Evan talking. He told Luke that they were his father and godfather?" He wasn't sure if he was saying it as a statement or a question, but Lupin seemed to understand because he opened his mouth in surprise.

"That's not possib-" The wolf slammed his mouth shut. His eyes widened and he looked back at Luc. "Time tuners," he whispered. Luc had no idea what Lupin was talking about and he went to say so, but Lupin must have read the confusion on his face because he talked on, "Siri likes to snoop," this was said with a smile. "Bones in Ravenclaw, her grandmother works at the Ministry and she wrote a letter, that Siri got a hold of, it was about a new device the Unspeakables have been working on. It can supposedly take a person back in time. Only a few minutes, but they are trying to expand on that."

Bewildered, Luc sat forward on his sit, "The magic that must take-"

"Is exponential," Lupin picked up. "It is one of the issues they are apparently having. The further back they wish to travel the more power it takes." Then he ran a hand through his hair, "But if Harry and Lu-"

"Draco," he corrected automatically, because he knew the name. It was important to him, and if his hypothesis was right, he had picked it.

"Draco," the wolf said with a nod, "are from the future, then it is possible the Unspeakables have perfected these Time Tuners." He paused, "Though I can't imagine they travelled this far back intentionally."

"They appear to be stuck," Luc added.

"Hell," Lupin whispered, leaning back against his chair. "Could you imagine the temptation?" The wolf whispered. Luc wasn't sure if Lupin even meant to ask the question out loud.

"I believe that is what they were fighting about," he said pushing to his feet. He couldn't sit still right now. His mind was running wild as it tried to process the idea that he had a son. _A teenage son._ That had somehow travelled back in time, and who was horrible at concealing his emotions and was friends with a bloody Gryffindor. There was also the comment about him bowing down to a madman, it rang in his ears, because he had a sinking feeling who Draco had been talking about, and it scared the hell out of him.

He was ripped out of his thoughts by Lupin bursting into a sudden loud laughed. He stopped his pacing and turned toward the man. He raised an eyebrow when Lupin looked up at him.

"It seems James gets the girl," he said chuckling again. Luc didn't drop his brow because he had no idea how the wolf got to that conclusion.

"Evan," Lupin said. "Harry is using Lily's last name as his name." _Oh, _Luc thought. _That made sense._

"Luke," he whispered with a smile. His nickname, though it was only used by him and Severus. It was strangely comforting known his son was using his name. He hoped it meant their relationship was better, closer, then his own with his father.

Then his heart stopped. Narcissa. He knew logically of course that he would someday marry her. It was already agreed upon and planned out, but seeing the proof of their marriage and future life together was different. He was filled with the urge to hex something. The filling of joy he had at having a son, one that seemed brilliant was quickly drowning in the heartbreaking ache of knowing he wouldn't find a way to keep Sev.

He walked back over to his chair and sat back down.

"Are you okay?" Lupin's quiet voice asked. He looked at the wolf and noticed his eyes had changed to the wolf's amber. He glared at the man.

"Sorry," Lupin said. "I can smell your emotions. Tonight, it's harder to ignore then other days."

He understood, though he didn't like the idea that the wolf knew what he was feeling. Instead of telling the wolf off though he replied, "Draco. Seeing him, it just shows my father gets what he wants."

"Narcissa," Lupin muttered in understanding. "I'm sorry."

Hating the idea of pity, he growled and was about to tell Lupin to mind his own business when he noticed the look in the man's eyes. He realized Lupin wasn't pitying him. The wolf understood.

"Black?" he asked and watched as Lupin's eyes widened in surprise, then they closed and Lupin nodded.

"Does he know?" he couldn't help but ask. Lupin shook his head.

"Why not?"

"Because he is an idiot," Lupin said with a sad smile. "He has already pulled away from his family. Even stays the summers with James. If Walburga found out about me. She would disinherit him. Blast him off that _bloody_ family tapestry...and he would let her." Lupin sighed. "I want to be selfish and tell him. To have him, but the laws around wolves stops me from being able to hold most jobs, I can't even own property in England. Siri would lose everything, and a disinherited _pureblood,_" there was a sneer to the word, "has about as much of a possibility of getting a job as I do." Lupin's head dropped, "I can't be the reason he has nothing."

Luc didn't know what to say. He had been raised to believe that werewolves were monsters less than wizards, hell his father put them below muggles, but the teen next to him wasn't a monster. He was kind and loyal. Top of their year in most of their classes and hurting himself to protect his mate.

"I am sorry," Luc muttered after a second. Lupin gave a small smile without moving or opening his eyes. "Me too."

"If it helps," Lupin added after a moment, "I don't think you lose Severus." Luc froze. He never said Severus name.

"What do you mean?" he asked, cautiously.

Lupin opened his eyes and sat up, looking Luc straight in the eye the wolf said, "Draco said you were shagging his godfather." Lupin grinned. "I think that means you kept Severus as close as you possibly could."

He fell back against his chair. He felt relieved? But still conflicted. He didn't want Sev as just a friend. Though maybe it was better than losing him all together. He sighed and stood up again.

"Perhaps it's time we return to our rooms," Lupin sighed and tried to stand. He wavered and Luc's found himself reaching out to steady the other teen. Again, neither spoke about it. It seemed Lupin understood it wasn't to be talked about. Malfoys would never help anyone who wasn't blood, especially a werewolf.

When Lupin seemed stable, he let go and turned heading for the door. He reached for the handle when a gasp echoed through the room. It sounded gut-wrenching and he spun around panicked.

Lupin stood shaking, his hand was on the back of the chair Luc had been sitting in and the color had gone from his face, his mouth open and Luc could see tears in his eyes. Confused, Luc took a step towards the other boy.

"Ja...mes," Lupin stammered. "James... he's dead." He looked at Lucius like he was begging him for it not to be true.

"I do n-" Luc started was cut off.

"Harry knows nothing about his inheritance," Lupin told him. "James would never have not told him. He would have made sure Harry knew everything and warned him about the possibility of being submissive. He would have made sure Harry understood. He-." Lupin let out a soft sob. "He looked so surprised when James lent him his family book. Like he had never seen it before." Lupin's eyes darkened. "What did he say about Peter? Something about him destroying his friends." Luc watched on, alarmed as Lupin put the pieces together.

_Was it possible? _He wondered. Could that be why Harry sounded so angry, so desperate when he ranted earlier.

"Lupin-" he started, unsure what to say, but the teen just shook his head.

"Peter wouldn't," he said, though he sounded like he was trying to convince himself. "He wouldn't," he muttered again. Luc wasn't so sure. Pettigrew disgusted him. The man was a coward and trailed behind the only people nice enough to let him. He had no doubt the teen was capable of hurting someone, if it got him something he wanted.

"We do not know. The details," he said, moving to grab Lupin shoulders. He had no doubt about Potter's death. Lupin was right, those pieces fit, but that didn't mean they knew the how and why of it.

"What do we do?" Lupin asked him, sounding desperate.

"Nothing," he replied. "We can't. You heard Draco. If we change anything it could alter the future in ways we cannot predict."

Lupin frowned. "Aren't you tempted?"

Luc let go of the teen's shoulder and backed away, making sure they could see eye to eye, because he needed Lupin to see him, to hear him. He needed this to be clear. "No." Lupin's eyebrows went up. "Because I could lose Draco," Luc continued. "I see him and I am _proud_." He smiled. "I have a son, a son who is brilliant in his studies, protective of his friends, and kind hearted enough to check on a werewolf in the middle of a full moon because he is important to someone my son cares about. A son who is strong enough to support his terrified friend and stubborn enough to kept himself together despite his own fear. Yet, he is cunning and clever enough to survive being trapped in a different time. I see Draco and know that no matter what my future holds, I did a better job than _my_ father." He took a breath, "I hate that I won't get to have Severus and that my child will never know the love I have for my mate, but if I have to sacrifice my love for my child, I'll do it...gladly."

_Remus's Pov_

He stood there watching Malfoy speak and he felt stuck. The way Malfoy spoke, the emotion and passion with which he spoke about his future son had Lupin at a loss. He'd never imagined Lucius Malfoy capable of it. Not that he thought the other teen was emotionless, just distant, but it seemed the blonde was just incredible at hiding how he truly felt. The words rang in his ears and he felt conflicted. He could understand Malfoy point and even applauded it, but could he risk James life for Malfoy's son? _Bloody hell was he even debating it. _He shook his head. _How would he look at James again, if he didn't do anything?_ He wanted to cry or throw something, _because how would he look at Harry if he did._

"I understand," he whispered to Malfoy. The man gave him a slow look, like he was deciding if he believed him then with a quick bow of his head he turned back towards the exit. It seemed they were done for the night. Lupin was grateful, he felt raw right now, like an exposed nerve and he wasn't sure he could talk about it anymore tonight.

"Will talk again tomorrow," Malfoy said as he opened the door. The platinum blonde didn't wait for his reply just walked away, leave Remus alone to break down.


	30. Chapter 30

**Chapter 30**

**Harry's Pov**

Harry's skin felt too tight like it had been stretched too thin in order to find over his body and it made him feel more frustrated than he already had been. Which meant he shrugged Draco off, a little rougher then he had meant, the second they entered the school. He saw the hurt look in the blonde's face and had been about to apologize when Draco turned his back to him and stormed off.

He wanted to shout out and tell the Slytherin that he wasn't mad at him. That the fight wasn't the reason he was pulling away, but Draco was already gone. He kicked the closest wall, cursing when pain ran along his foot. He let out a frustrated groan and turned towards the tower, and stomped along the empty hallways. Not caring if he was caught out after curfew.

He felt so overwhelmed. His fear, anxiety, regret, and anger grew every day he was stuck here and now he had guilt to add to his list. He sighed, feeling like an utter arse for not realizing how hard this had to be on his new friend. He had been so consumed with his own worry and fear that he forgot Draco was trapped here too. Yet, the annoyingly proud Slytherin never complained about it. He'd been by Harry side and tried to help with everything he was capable and Harry hadn't done the same. He felt bad about it and vowed to do better.

With his emotions all over the place he was on the brink of tears when he walked into the common room. He stopped short when he found his dad and Sirius hanging out in the otherwise empty common room. His dad was sitting cross legged on the floor a book in his lap. While his godfather was sprawled out on the couch behind him. He let out a relieved breath, if they were here then Remus was okay. They wouldn't have come back here if Remus was hurt. They must have heard him because both of the other teens looked up at him. Sirius had a goofy grin on his face and James gave him a happy grin, both fell away as they took him in.

He watched as his father looked over his shoulder at Sirius. The two held a silent conversation that Harry didn't understand before James jumped to his feet and rushed towards him. Harry tried to hold it back. He told himself to wait it out, wait until he was alone and in his bed with curtains closed, but the second his father wrapped his arms around him he broke.

Crying into James chest felt cathartic. He was able to let it all out and his father never said a word just held him. A comfort Harry had never gotten to experience before. It was strange to never want it to end. After all he was 16 and crying, but the hug and comfort felt incredible. Slowly he got himself back under control, though he didn't pull away until he was sure his eyes were dry.

When he pulled away he gave a grateful smile to James. Who gave him a smile and took his arm and pulled him towards the couch. James took his spot on the floor again and Siri went to sit up so Harry could join him on the couch, but he shook his head at his godfather and sat on the floor next to his dad.

"You okay?" Siri asked him after he sat down.

Harry nodded. "Just feeling overwhelmed."

"I know something that will help" his godfather said, causing both Harry and James to look at him in question. The black haired teen just rolled his eyes and pointed for Harry to look forward. Trusting his godfather he did. Then he felt a warm hand settle on the back of his neck, fingers gently massaging, he suddenly felt boneless. He slumped back against the couch letting out a ridiculously happy sound. James chuckled next to him.

"Thought that might help," Sirius chuckled lightly. "My cousin Andromeda is a submissive, on her mother's side of the family, and whenever she was feeling overwhelmed or upset her mother would do this. She called it grounding. I think it releases some kind of chemical that helps submissives relax and balance out."

Harry remembered Sirius, his Sirius, mentioning his favorite cousin before. Maybe when he made it home he could ask his godfather more about her. If she was still around maybe she could give him some advice.

"Thank you," he muttered.

"Anytime," Sirius replied.

After that they fell silent. Every once in a while he could hear his father turning the page of the book he was reading, all the while Sirius's hand stayed on his neck. He felt content in a way he hadn't before and he slowly started to drift off.

Remus's Pov

It took him awhile to figure out what he was going to do. He desperately wanted to help James. To save him from whatever happens, but Malfoy had been right. If he tried to change things, it could mean that Harry would never be born and how could he deny James his son. It broke his heart but he wouldn't say anything. Though he still hopped to talk to Harry. Maybe if he had all the facts it would be easier. He doubted it but it gave him something to hold on to.

He left the empty classroom with a strong urge to see James. He needed to see him. Make sure he was okay. Logically he knew his friend was fine and that whatever would happen wouldn't happen for a while yet. After all he hadn't gotten with Lily yet, so no little Harry on his way, but just the knowledge that something was going to happen made him desperate to see his friend.

He was not expecting when he walked into the common room to see James reading with Harry… no Evan, he had to be Evan in here, tucked against his side sound asleep. Sirius half awake laying on the couch running his fingers though Evan's hair.

James looked up when he walked in and he could actually feel his friends eyes roaming over him. Taking him in making sure he was okay. Remus stuck his tongue out playfully and quietly walked towards them.

"How long has he been asleep?" he whispered.

"Half an hour," Siri mumbled opening his eyes and smiling at him. He smiled back.

"Maybe a little less," James added. He looked down at his friend and sighed. James eyes were red and he could smell the exhaustion on him. He loved his best friend but he was a bit of a mother hen. He reached down and ruffled James's hair, earning him an annoyed huff.

"You two need to go to bed," he said in what he hoped was a confident _don't question me_ tone. From the dramatic eye roll Sirius gave him he succeeded. James reached over to shake Evan awake but Remus quickly caught his wrist.

"Leave him," he whispered. "I'm not tired," he lied. "Plus I have a charms essay to finish," not a lie, "he can use me as a pillow." James gave him a questioning look but did as he was told.

It took all three of them to shift Evan and move him enough that James and Remus could switch places, and the second Evan's head landed on his shoulder Moony let out a happy yip in his mind at having his cub resting against him. It was strange but Remus liked it.

It was about an hour later, he had finished his essay and he knew he couldn't do this anymore. His legs were asleep and Evan deserved a couple hours of sleep in an actually bed. He sighed, putting his book and parchment off to the side., he reached down and shook the other boys shoulder.

"Evan," he whispered. Nothing happened. He sighed again, it seemed the boy would inherited his father's sleeping skills.

He shook him again. "Harry," he tried this time, hoping the use of his real name would jar him awake, but again nothing happened. He debated just moving and letting Evan fall, he had done it to James and Sirius enough times he wouldn't even feel bad about it, but instead he tried shaking him again.

He wasn't sure what possessed him, but the words just came out, "Come on, cub, gotta get up."

"Don't wanna Moony," Evan mumbled against his shoulder, and Remus' heart skipped. _How close were they in the future that Harry reacted more to cub then his name? And that he called him Moony so easily? _The thoughts brought back the knowledge of James's death. He shoved it down.

"You at least have to climb into bed," he whispered.

"M-Remus?" Evan asked sounding confused as he started to actually wake up. Remus gave him a smile. Evan's eyes shot open and he jerked up. "Are you-" the smaller boy started and then slammed his mouth shut. Remus got the impression he had been about to ask if he was okay, only to remember he shouldn't.

"What happened to James?" Evan asked instead.

"He and Sirius went to bed a little bit ago. We didn't want to wake you up. I hope that's okay."

Evan nodded as he spoke. "Yeah, of course."

He had to fight a smile as he watched Evan looking him over in almost the exact same way his father had an hour before. When Evan seemed satisifted he was okay he relaxed and Remus felt his heart warm at the love he felt from the other boy.

"We should get to bed," he said standing and pulling Evan up with him. The boy just sighed and followed him up the stairs to their room. Remus watch as Evan did a silent headcount of the room before he crawled into his bed and closed the curtains.

He shook his head and wondered if Evan did that every night. Counting and making sure they were all there before he relaxed and went to bed himself. He also wondered what else Evan did to comfort himself, while he was stuck in the bizarre situation. Remus would have to keep an eye out, hopefully he would find something he could do to help. He wasn't sure he could tell Harry that he knew the truth, but maybe he could still find a way to make things a little easier on him.


	31. Chapter 31

**Chapter 31: **

**Remus's Pov**

He was feeling a little better the next day. Maybe it was because he had gotten to relax next to Harry the night before and his wolf had delighted in that. Instead of its normal frustration and depression at being shoved away for another month, Moony had settled into the back of his mind in a content almost pleased way. It was the first time he could remember falling asleep so easily after a full moon. Or maybe it was because he had made a decision about Harry and his circumstance. It hurt to think about what he was letting pass but he truly believed that if James knew he would be happy with the choice he made.

His friends had given him strange looked when he wasn't his normal exhausted grumpy self the next morning, but he just smiled at them and told them he had sleep good. James had shrugged it off but he could feel Sirius watching him out through their morning classes.

It was lunch time and he was on his way back to the common rooms to grab his stuff for Charms when his arm was grabbed and he was yanked into an empty classroom. It was on reflex that he pulled his wand and spun to face whoever had grabbed him. Malfoy didn't look impressed or even afraid to have Remus' wand pointing at his chest. Just raised an elegant eyebrow and waited for him to lower it. With a frustrated exhale he did.

"What?" he asked the Slytherin.

"I think we should tell them," Malfoy said crossing his arms over his chest. Remus took a step back, taken back by the idea. Things could go badly if the two other teens found out they knew. He had a suspicion the younger Malfoy would try and do something about it. He had been determined not to let anyone know. He wasn't sure about Harry, though.

"Why?" he asked, actually curious to the boy's reasoning. _Did Malfoy want to know more about the future? Or was it concern for his son? _

"Maybe we can help them. I have access to my family's library and you are one of the smartest students at Hogwarts. We may be able to locate information they cannot." Remus had to agree. It was logical but Remus had to think about it, because would there be consequences if they tried to help? Was them getting the two back to the future the right thing? What would happen after they were gone? He sighed, his head starting to hurt as he worried over all the what ifs.

"How do you suggest we tell them?" he asked resigned, and he didn't think just blurting it out would go over to well with either boy.

"I'll handle Draco," Malfoy said looking smug, like he had won. "You can handle Evan."

"Give me a day," Remus said. "Harry was a mess last night. I don't want to give him more stress just yet." Malfoy didn't look happy but the blonde nodded.

They stared at each other for a second, neither sure what to do now. It seemed they had connected the night before but Remus wasn't stupid, he knew Malfoy couldn't risk being nice to him or even been seen around him. It would get around and if Malfoy's father found out, Remus was sure there would be hell to pay. So he just gave the man a small nod of his head and left the room.

_Harry's Pov_

Despite having been woken up in the middle of the night by Remus and being told to go to bed, Harry had gotten the best night of sleep he had in months. Which meant his day was ten times better than any other so far. He actually stayed focused in all of his classes. Even managed not to screw up his potion in Potions, although Snape had to correct his stirring at one point.

By the time dinner rolled around, Harry was feeling happy and content. That was of course until he saw Draco. His good mood vanished when he realized he hadn't spoken to the blonde all day. While it would have been normal a couple of months ago, things were different now. They spoke every day, and Harry felt guilty that he hadn't sought out his new friend at all today. He knew he owed Draco an explanation for the night before.

Sitting at the gryffindor table he tired to catch the blonde's eye. Hoping to signal that he wanted to talk but it became clear that Draco was avoiding him. Frustrated he debated getting up and just approaching the slytherin table, but an arm on his arm stopped him.

"Later," Sirius mumbled with a pointed look at the others at the Slytherin table. Harry knew his godfather didn't like or trust the Slytherins, but that didn't seem like a good reason to not talk to Draco. He opened his mouth, but his father cut him off.

"He's right. Luke might be your friend but the other don't like us. You going over there will just get them riled up and we don't want you getting hexed just because you wanted to talk." So he stayed in his seat and finished his meal. By the time he was done, Draco had already left the Great Hall. Harry sighed and told himself he would talk to him in the morning.

Only it wasn't the easy.

Because once he as back in the common room, the restlessness set in and he couldn't stay still. He tried finishing two different essays and even reading his Transfiguration textbook. When he failed, he threw the book at the couch and stormed up the stairs to his room. He changed into his pajamas and crawled into bed. Hoping that he could just sleep it off. After about 20 minutes he rolled over and grabbed his father's inheritance book. While he tried to read it, he heard Remus and James come in and both crawled into bed. Both wishing him goodnight.

It didn't take him long to know the book wasn't going to hold his attention either. Which made him feel angry because he was sure he wouldn't feel like this if he had been able to talk to Draco at dinner. It had to be his guilt about not apologizing. Or at least that's what he hoped because he wasn't sure how he felt if it was just because he hadn't talked to his friend that day. He didn't like the idea that he could feel like this anytime he went too long without being around the blonde.

He made it about another 15 minutes, all which were spent glaring at the book in his hand, before he threw off his blanket and grabbed Sirius cloak, as he wasn't sure were his was. The comforting scent of his godfather helped a little.

Sirius gave him a questioning look from the couch in the common room when he stumbled down the stairs and headed for the door. He just waved his godfather off and left. It wasn't hard to make his way through the school and down into the dungeons. What was hard was figuring out how the hell he was suppose to get to Draco once he was outside the Slytherin's door.

He raised his hand to knock but thought better of it. Sirius's warning from earlier ringing in his ears.

"Fuck," he muttered.

"Need help?" a voice asked from behind him. He jumped and turned to see Lucius Malfoy standing behind him.

"Umm." _Fuck, why did it have to be Malfoy, _he thought. "Can you get Luke?" he asked.

The elder Malfoy nodded and walked past him, whispered a password at the door and then disappeared inside. Harry felt nervous waiting, hoping the other Malfoy would actually get Draco and not just leave him out here waiting.

He didn't have to wait long before the door opened and both Malfoys walked out. He gave Draco a sheepish smile. He had been intending to apologize right then and there, but a sweet smell came off the younger blonde, it had Harry moving before he thought about it. He walked right into Draco's space and hugged him, burying his nose in the other boy's throat.

Draco gave a surprise, "oh," and wrapped his arms around him. Something washed over Harry and he felt himself relax, the irritated restlessness feeling evaporating.

"You smell good," he muttered into the blonde's skin.

Draco chuckled. "Like plums?" There was a teasing tone to his voice but Harry didn't care. He just nodded.

"You know," Draco said, "you have yet to tell me what it is about you and plums."

"They're my favorite," he mumbled.

He felt Draco shiver and pulled back. "What?" he asked, but Draco just shook his head.

A throat cleared behind them and Harry saw Draco shot his father a glare.

"Come on," Draco said, grabbing his hand and pulling him away from his father and the common room. Harry didn't even have to ask where they were going. Though he smiled as Draco held his hand all the way to the Room of Requirements.

**Lucius's Pov**

"Interesting," Severus said from besides him. Luc looked at his mate with a raised eyebrow.

"You came to fetch Luke at the bidding of a Gryffindor. Which Luke practically ran out of the room to see. Then you didn't seem at all surprised by the overly affectionate greeting. Though you did seem surprised by their quick but informative conversation." Luc shot his mate a glare. He loved the man but sometimes Sev was too intelligent for his own good.

His mate just ignored his glare and looked down the now empty hallway.

"Do you think they know they are mates?" Sev asked, and that had Luc sighing.

"I believe Luke either suspects or just realized, but I think Evan is clueless." He grabbed Severus's arm and pulled him back into their common room.

"Now are you done avoiding me?" he asked his mate and he pushed him up against the nearest wall. Not caring if anyone saw them.

"I wasn't aware that I was avoiding you," Severus's lied, a careful smile on his face.

"Sure you weren't," Luc said as he leaned in and captured his lovers lips. The taller man allowed it for a moment before he pulled away and glared down at him.

"Are you going to tell me what's going on? You disappeared last night and came back in an odd mood, and you allowed Luke to take off with that Gryffindor just now, without a comment." Sev was staring into his eyes, Luc growled low when he felt the other reach into his mind. His mate sighed and pulled out of his head.

"You won't tell me will you?" Sev asked, and Luc dropped his gaze. "I can not," Luc said, trying to ignore the desire to do just so. He wanted so badly to tell Sev about Draco, but what he told the wolf had been the truth, he couldn't risk Draco. So he held his tongue.

Sev searched his eyes again this time without the Legilimency. "Fine," he said after a second and walked off. Luc sighed and followed after him.


	32. Chapter 32

_**Chapter 32 **_

_**Harry's Pov**_

"I'm sorry," he said when they entered the room. Draco turned his head to look at him, brows raised. "For brushing you off. I was worried about Remus and annoyed over our argument. I was going to apologize to you earlier but I didn't want to do it in front of everyone."

"It's okay," the blonde said, turning to face him fully. "I shouldn't have been mad at you. I knew you were upset and worried." Relieved he smiled at his friend, then had to lean his head to see past him and into the room. It wasn't their normal meeting place in fact it looked strangely like a large bedroom.

"Draco, there is a bed?" he asked a little dumbfounded. The Slytherin laughed. Draco grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the bed. "I figured you were tired but didn't want to go back to the dorms."

He thought about resisting because sharing a bed with Draco should have been weird. Sure they had done it before, back when they first arrived but that was because they didn't have another option. He didn't though, because some small part of him wanted to. He suspected it was the submissive part of him. That same part that kept urging him to cuddle with Draco last time they had shared a bed. Truth was those couple of days he had the best sleep he had in years and if Draco was giving him a chance at that again he wasn't going to fight it.

He took off Sirius cloak and crawled into the bed. Draco had already shoved the blankets down and was on the right side of the bed. Harry paused for a second debating if he should just move right up next to the other boy or if he should at least pretend he didn't want to lay that close.

Draco met his eye and grinned. Then the blonde's arm shot out and grabbed Harry's wrist. Harry felt himself being tugged over the bed and then pushed down on the bed right next to Draco. He let out a relieved breath as the blonde settled behind him.

"Can you please explain the plum thing?" he asked some time later. He was comfortable and relaxed, even slowly falling asleep, but couldn't get Draco's reaction out of his mind.

He felt Draco's body stiffen behind him and turned his head to see the blonde. Draco was biting his lip and looking down at Harry.

"Please," he whispered.

The slytherin nodded though he looked worried. Before he said anything Draco laid back down, wrapping an arm around Harry's waist and pulled him snug against his body. Harry turned his head back around and laid on his pillow. His pulse faster as he waited.

"Just don't freak out okay?" Draco mumbled against his ear. Harry shivered from the jolt that went down his spine and nodded.

"I told you before," Draco started, "that creatures uses smell to identify each other. That your submissive side connected me with plums." Harry nodded again. "But I didn't tell you everything. Scent association doesn't just identify submissives or dominants. It helps identify friends, family, even mates. Your family will always smell as something comforting and protected. It's so you always feel safe around them. My father smells like home." Draco took a breath that Harry felt against his ear when the blonde exhaled. "Friends, close friends, smell more like things you enjoy or like. A food or place you enjoy. Sev smells like honeysuckle and burning herbs. Honeysuckle grows wild in his garden," the blonde explained. "I've spent every summer for as long as I can remember there with him. As he taught me every flower, herb, and spice, he has growing there. Don't tell him but it's my favorite part of summer." Draco chuckled, causing Harry to smile. "Mates, according to my father are a mix of those things. Comfort, safety, and ones favorite smells."

It took him a second. It probably shouldn't have giving Draco's earlier warning about not freaking out, but still it took time for the words to sink in. _Draco thinks they're mates._ His brain said. He opened his mouth to ask but the words stuck in his throat. He tried clearing it only to end up coughing.

"Harry?" Draco asked, Harry felt the other boy sit up behind him.

"I'm okay," he whispered, turning his head to look at the slytherin. "Are you sure?" he asked.

Draco's eyes searched his face. "It's a guess," he said, "I don't know for sure. I don't even know how to prove it, but I think so. We both feel comfortable around each other, too comfortable given our history. Plus your submissive side reacts strongly to me." Draco smiled. "Plus I smell like your favorite fruit." Harry wanted to roll his eyes but he didn't.

"Favorite _food,_" he corrected a little shyly.

Draco's eyes widened. "Oh," he said.

Harry moved his head back and laid back down. Giving Draco a moment to follow suit. "So, what does this mean?" Harry asked after they were again resting against each other.

"I honestly don't know, Harry," Draco said. "If I'm right it means we are almost perfect for each other. Not that it will be easy. Just because we are drawn together and find comfort in each other doesn't mean we won't have to work at a relationship, if you want a relationship that is." _A relationship,_ Harry thought, _did he want that?_

"It also means we are capable of bonding," he heard the Slytherin continue, but he kept focusing on the relationship part, _what would it be like to have Draco as a boyfriend, a mate, instead of just a friend,_ a rush of warmth shot through him and he had to bite his lip from making a sound. _Okay, so maybe he liked that idea. _

"A magical link that would tie us together. A marriage of sorts, but I don't really know how to go about it." _Shit, should have been paying more attention, he thought. _

He heard Draco sighed. "I wish father was here. I could ask him."

"He is," Harry whispered, "he may not be Lucius from our time, but he still may have answers."

He heard Draco hum behind him. "Maybe I'll speak to him," the blonde muttered after a second. They fell asleep shortly after. Draco's arm wrapped around him, holding him as close as possible and Harry fully relaxed and no worry about nightmares.

**Draco Pov**

He hated that morning. He woke up perfectly comfortable holding Harry only to find they had less than an hour to get breakfast before class started. He had to fight against the urge to keep Harry in bed, in his arms, where he and his cat wanted. From the whine Harry let out when they had pulled apart, the other boy felt the same.

Now he was sitting in Herbology glaring at the Mandrakes in front of him. He heard a snort and turned to his godfather looking at him with a smile, that made him homesick.

"What?" he grumbled, just loud enough to be heard through the ear muffs.

"You didn't return last night," Severus said, "And now you are glaring at anyone or anything that gets close." His godfather's hand pushed his earmuffs to the side, thankfully none of the Mandrakes were crying. "I do believe you would rather be back in bed with your Gryffindor." Draco didn't blush, though he did swallow over a sudden lump in his throat.

"Why do you care?" he snapped. His mind was conflicted, he wanted to talk to Sev about it but this wasn't his godfather, this was a young Slytherin that most likely hated Gryffindors.

Severus cocked his head to the side, then he pushed Draco's earmuffs back over his ears and turned back to his own plant. Draco went to snap at him, because what the bloody hell was that, but the professor walked over and started demanding the start of the replanting of there Mandrakes.

His godfather had disappeared after class and Draco hadn't been able to find him. Frustrated he sought out his father instead. Only he couldn't find him either.

By dinner time, he was worried and annoyed. No one at the Slytherin table had said anything. So he didn't think Sev had said anything to anyone. Which was a plus, but it left Draco trying to understand why not.

He wasn't paying attention to his surroundings on his way back to the common room; which was stupid. He froze when he saw a large silk black panther standing in a darkened hallway. His father's wings weren't out, but Draco would know that feline anywhere. The cat slowly approached him, carefully bumping its head against his stomach in a show of affection.

Draco let out a gasp as a wave of emotions hit him. He wanted to drop down to his knees, wrap his arms around his father. Rant about everything that had been going on and beg for advice.

But as badly as he wanted to this wasn't his father. Not yet at least. He didn't understand why the other Lamassu was acting like this. His father's head brushed against his hand and out of habit Draco brushed his fingers across the cat's head blindly searching for the spot behind his ears he knew his father enjoyed. The cat purred and then shook his hand off. He tried to turn his head and watched as his father moved behind him. There was a push against his legs as his father's head shoved at him. Feeling completely confused, he moved forward.

His father kept it up until they were out of the school and well into the Forbidden forest.

"Are you going to tell me what this is about?" Draco asked, starting to get annoyed with his father. The cat huffed and pushed him on. It took several minutes before Draco found himself on the edge of a small meadow. He felt the magic in the air as his father took his human form.

"I believe we needed to speak," the older Malfoy said. "This seemed the best place." Than to his further surprise his father sat on the ground and gesture for him to do the same.

"I…" Draco started protest but his father gave him a glare. It reminded him so much of his father, that he just swallowed and sat down.

"I thought about the best way to start this conversation and found none," his father said. "It took awhile for me to realize there was no proper way to go about this, so I've settled on blunt truth," his father looked at him, and Draco saw a happy smile on his face, "I have a son." Draco's heart stopped, "I couldn't believe it at first, but looking at you. Even with the glamours you are wearing I can see it." He couldn't find it in himself to deny it. "I see it in your mannerisms and the way you speak. It's in the way you watch the people around you, and more importantly how you look at your mate." He gasped.

"How?" he asked.

"The other night, Lupin and I overheard you and Harry arguing."

"Fuck," he muttered.

"Language, Draco," his father scolded him, and it sounded so right that he ducked his head and mumbled an apology. He heard his father chuckle and realized what he had done.

"You can't say anything," he said suddenly starting to panic. _Because oh shit,_ not only did his father know but Lupin did as well. "You can't…" he couldn't breath_. Oh merlin, they had fucked up so bad. What would happen now? Because of them?_ He wasn't even aware he was panting, _because they had one stupid argument where people could overhear them. _

"Draco!" his father shouted his name and suddenly he was surrounded by his father's arms and scent. It stopped the frantic thoughts and he let out a sob as he clutched at his father's back.

"We have already agreed," his father whispered, "not to say or do anything. The risks are to great, but we can help you at least. Get you home, where you belong."

"I have to tell Harry," he muttered when he finally calmed down. His father pulled back. "The wolf his handling that." Draco wasn't sure that was a good idea but nodded his head anyways.

"We have a way home," he said. "Or at least we think we do. It kinda depends on well, you," he said with a shrug.

"Me?" his father asked.

"And Sev, and a couple others. In the future," Draco said. His father raised a brow.

"We found a ritual that will take us home, but it needs help from someone in our correct time. We send a few letters through the goblins at Gringotts, to be delivered at a specific time. If everything goes right. You, Sev, a friend of mine, and two of Harry's will get them and set up the ritual on their end."

"What about Lupin?" the older malfoy asked.

"Him too. Not that Harry knows." His father narrowed his eyes. Draco could already see his father's mind trying to puzzle that out.

"Before we came back, Harry found out some stuff. I don't think I can tell you about. It shattered his trust in everyone. Even those he considers family."

"He doubts the wolf?" his father asked, sounding doubtful.

Draco shook his head. "Not really. It's more he fears he is wrong. He knows Lupin loves him and would do anything to take care of and protect him, but he fears he is wrong and he doesn't want to take the chance," he tried to explain.

"Yet he is involved."

Draco ran a hand through his hair. "Where Harry doubts, I don't. That wolf loves Harry too much to ever betray him. So, I sent you to him. Hopefully you listened, because I think if we make it home, Harry is going to need him."

"Draco." He looked up at his father. "We will get you home. Now tell me about this ritual," his father said it so confidently, that Draco found himself believing him.

**Harry's pov **

"Evan," someone called behind him as he walked towards the library. He had his father's book tucked under his arm and was hoping to find a quiet place to read. He sighed, stopped, and turned around. He smiled when he saw Remus jogging towards him. The sandy haired werewolf looked out of breath and his hair was a mess. It made Harry chuckled.

"Hey Remus," he said when the other student reached him.

"Got a minute?" Remus asked, looking around them, there was a guilty yet determined look in the wolf's eyes. Suddenly Harry was worried he was about to be pranked.

"Sure?" he said a little unsure.

Remus just smiled at him and took his arm. The other boy led him away from the library and towards a portrait. It was a landscape and when Remus reached forward and ran a finger over it the portrait moved and let them to small a hallway. Harry hesitated, he hadn't seen this passage before. Not even on the map.

He looked at Remus. Something in the other's eyes shouted, _trust me._ Harry took a breath and stepped into the hallway. He heard the relieved breath Remus let out before he followed.

It wasn't a long hallway and it ended in a small room full of books and a couple of large sitting chairs.

"Sirius and James don't know about this one," Remus said, moving around him and sitting in one of the chairs. "I think we all found one spot, we kept to ourselves." Remus smiled at him. "This was mine."

"It's so you," Harry said with a smile. Remus chuckled. "That it is."

"Why tell me?" he asked moving to sit in the chair across from future professor.

Remus sighed. "It was recommended that I speak to you somewhere we can't be overheard." Harry tilted his head to the side. "Why?" he asked.

"Because cub, I know who you are."

A flood of panic hit him and Harry shot forward and out of his seat quickly finding his feet. He wasn't sure why he felt the need to run, but he did. Remus moved just as fast, a hand landed on the back of his neck before he could take a step. There was a squeeze from the hand and Harry's head went fuzzy, just for a second before he felt himself calm down, his mind cleared and the panic faded away.

He dropped down on his chair, Remus's hand letting go.

"The hell?" he mumbled as he realized exactly what just happened.

Remus knelt in front of him amber eyes looking into his. "Oh," the wolf muttered and then he smiled, "you've found your mate. Malfoy, I assume." Harry nodded, before he registered the use of Malfoy instead of Luke. He narrowed his eyes and looked at Remus.

"I don't understand," he said.

"Do you want me to explain what just happened or how I know you're Harry Potter first?" Remus asked.

He thought about it. He wanted to understand what just happened, but if it had to do with Draco he could always ask the blonde later. "How do you know who I am?" he asked.

Remus smiled and stood up, returning to his seat.

"I saw you and Draco go into the tunnel under the willow. I was curious how you knew about it and followed. I admit, I listened to your argument. It sounded insane at first but slowly it started to make sense. Harry, I will not tell anyone. Nor do I plan to change anything." Harry looked into Remus's eyes and could tell he was serious. "I just want to help you get home cub."

"How can you say that?" Harry asked despite himself, "How can you know what's going to happen and not change it?" Because the guilt of it was eating at him. Even though he knew the consequences and that he wouldn't actually change anything. No matter how badly he ached to do so.

"Probably the same way you can," Remus said, sadly. "But knowing that if I save him. I could lose you." Harry swallowed.

"I want to save him," he whispered, looking away from the teen that would one day be a father figure to him.

"Me too," Remus said, moving to kneel in front of him again.

"Cub, look at me." Harry didn't think he could. He didn't want to see Remus eyes, know that he knew, because how could Harry tell him the rest, that it was his fault a madman would kill his parents.

"Cub." There was a growl in the word this time. It sent a shudder through him and Harry found himself having to raise his eyes.

"Whatever you are thinking, stop," Remus said reaching out to whip away a tear Harry hadn't felt fall. "There is so much in this world we cannot control, cub, and this is a cruel way to learn that. If you try to save your father, you could make things better or worse, but you wouldn't know until it's too late. So, you're trapped with a dilemma on whether it's worth it. Knowing that the wrong choice could essentially erase people you know from existence. Leaving you to weigh the value of one life against many. I wish you didn't have to think about that." Remus leaned forward and pressed his forehead against Harry's. Something in the small acted, broke him. It felt comforting yet, sad, and he started to cry.

Remus held him through it. It was only when he had run out of tears that they separated.

"I know I can't save him," he said. "I just hate that I can't."

Remus gave him a sad smile. "I know."

"Moony, you can't tell anyone," he said. The wolf had already said he wouldn't act on what he knew but that didn't mean he wouldn't tell anyone.

Remus looked away. "I wasn't alone in the tunnel," he said.

"Shit," Harry cursed. "Padfoot?" he asked, a little hopeful.

Remus shook his head. "Lucius Malfoy."

"Hell," Harry groaned.

"He is talking to Draco right now. He understands the risks. Harry, he isn't going to say or do anything that would risk his son. Trust me." Harry nodded. He had learned more about Malfoys than he had known before, Draco cared a great deal about his family and Harry got the impression he learned it from his father. If Remus was sure the older Malfoy wasn't going to risk Draco, Harry believed him.

"Now what?" Harry asked, feeling a little overwhelmed.

"Now we see what two very sneaky, very clever, blonde Slytherins come up with," Remus said with a laugh.


	33. Chapter 33

**Chapter 33: **

Charlie's POV

Charlie stood outside a tiny yet charming cottage. It was located just outside of Tinworth, and he prayed the small home had been overlooked by Dumbledore. Him and Bill had spent three days going over the documents George had given them. Today he finally had the opportunity to look at the two homes that had been decided he could handle. The unnamed house in Hogsmeade and this cottage. Bill being a Cursebreaker was better equipped to handle Potter Manor and Potter Cottage. Both were well known and the chances were Dumbledore had warded them to alert him if anyone, especially Harry, went there. Bill would feel the wards long before Charlie and knew how to avoid or dismiss them. So that left Charlie with the two lesser known homes.

The house in Hogsmeade had been warded heavily enough that Charlie hadn't even bothered to try and enter the home. It left him angrier than he had already been at his old headmaster. How could this man fake, lie, and pretend so well. When he clearly committed acts that betrayed his true character. Hiding his parents' will from Harry. Warding him from his own homes, paying kids to be his friends. How had they all missed it before. He had sighed and sent his brother an owl, telling him he would have to come inspect this one. Charlie had been sure he could force his way through the wards but not if they wanted to keep the old fool in the dark about what they were doing.

The cottage felt different. There wasn't the same busy feeling of too much magic in the air, like the Hogsmeade house. Charlie reached out his hand and ran it along the property line. There was a small hum under his hand, a well worked charm to keep the house hidden. He smiled when he felt none of Dumbledore's magic and moved forward.

Once he walked past the opened wooden fence, the scenery changed. The cottage doubled in size and a beautiful yet unkempt garden surrounded it. He recognized some of the different plants and flowers. They weren't just planted because they were pretty but because they were useful.

There was also a greenhouse that looked a little worn out. He could barely see through the stained glass, it seemed more overgrown plants filled the inside. He would have to make time to check it later. Turning back to the cottage he stepped carefully along the leafy footpath to the front door.

Or doors to be more accurate. Two tall wooden doors. Along the outer edges of both doors was some incredible artwork that moved as if swaying in a gentle breeze. Lily flowers, painted in faded reds, yellows, and oranges. The flowers were tangled and twisted around dark green Ivy. It was very pretty against the dark wood that made up the doors. Charlie smiled and wondered if Fred would be able to touch up the colors on the flowers. At the center of the left door was the Potter family crest. Charlie had never seen it in person, only as a picture in a book his father owned. The crests colors where fades as well, the magic bound inside it had not. He could feel the familial magic even without touching the doors. It was strong but felt non threatening. He smiled again. It seemed both Lily and James Potter had left their mark on the small cottage. He hoped Harry would like seeing it.

Taking a deep breath Charlie stilled his nerves and reached out for the door knob.

A jolt of something ran up his fingers the second he made contact, then it ran along his palm fading as it reached his wrist. It hadn't hurt, though he jerked in surprise. There was a shimmer of magic through the air and the front doors opened. Stunned he stood there for a moment trying to figure out what just happened. He knew he had been tested by the magic either placed on the door or the cottage and it seemed he had passed, but he had never felt anything like it before. Nor had he read about a ward or spell that could do that. He looked back to the fence, he hadn't even felt magic outside of the charm meant to hid the house from muggles and crest on the door. _Had one of them hidden this spell?_ He shook his head, _I'll think about it later. _

Cautiously he pulled out his wand and stepped into the house.

A medium sized entrance way greeted him. The walls were made of a light colored ash wood while the floors seemed to be a darker oak. He could actually feel the warm magic held inside the room. It seemed happy to welcome him and as he stepped further inside; it light up. It wasn't just the few torches he saw hanging on the walls, but sort of muggle electricity from lights on the ceiling. It was an interesting mix of the two.

He quickly moved into the first room he found, a large living room, two large couches sat across from each other. One was dark grey the other black, decorative pillows lined the cushions of both. The black couch had a small red and gold blanket folded over the armrest and he could see snitches moving around on it. He grinned at the thought of seeing Harry with the blanket.

There was a desk in the corner, littered with forgotten papers and books. He lost his earlier grin as he wondered about clearing them up, so that Harry didn't have to do. He didn't like the idea of his young friend having to be reminded that his parents lives had been uprooted because of Voldemort, Dumbledore, and their war. Despite his want to protect his friend, he wasn't sure Harry would like him going through his parents things. He would have to ask the twins before he or anyone else touched anything.

His curiosity told him to check the rest of the house, but he hesitated outside the living room. He felt like he was invading, even if the cottage had allowed him in. He was stuck between wanting to make sure it was secure and not wanting to intrude on Harry's family home.

Hoping Harry would forgive him, Charlie checked the rest of the cottage. By the time he was done he felt exhausted. While the cottage didn't appear to be large from the outside, it was clear that James or Lily had used expansion charms throughout it. He had found two kitchens, three living rooms, an empty office, it seemed James preferred to work in the first living room. There were two libraries, though the second had been well hidden and held books Charlie was sure the Ministry wouldn't have approved of, a number of bedrooms and several bathrooms.

The entire house had stuck with the theme of mixing muggle technology and wizarding magic. Such as the modern laundry room on the second floor, that left Charlie confused, and the sitting room on the first that was partially in the backyard. It had been an impressive bit of magic. You enter the room from inside the house only to step into a large dome like structure made of glass windows and grass floors.

There was wicker furniture and a round fireplace at its center. There had been so much magic in the room it took his breath away. He had spent 10 minutes alone in there looking around before he decided the magic was harmless and left. The last thing he found was a basement. It held a small potions lab and a heavily warded training room. Knowing that both James and Sirius had been Aurors the basement made sense.

It was dark when he stepped out of the house, the doors closing quietly behind him. He knew this was the place for Harry, at least for the time being. Dumbledore clearly didn't know about it and the magic of the house had kept it in pristine condition. As he walked back down the path he looked over the garden again. He knew George loved herbology and found gardening relaxing. It was one of the few things outside of Quidditch they both enjoyed. He would have to get the twins to help him fix up the outside of the house and let Bill do a walk through of the inside in case he missed anything.

In a happy mood he appereated back to Shell Cottage.

_Bill POV_

Bill wasn't in a good mood. He had spent the last three days talking to his fellow Curse breakers about Potter Manor. It seemed even the ones that had attempted to get in didn't know what Albus Dumbledore had wanted from inside of it. They hadn't even had a guess. Just said the headmaster had ordered them to break past the wards and seemed upset _(Bill took this as the man was pissed but hide it well),_ and told them to leave.

Now that he was standing outside the large Manor himself and he felt, well, he felt lost and confused. He felt none of the hostile defending magic the others had complained about. Not the overwhelming feel of magic pressing down on him, like he had been warned about. In fact, as he stood on the large porch in front of the house all he felt was a few wards lightly blocking his path. Nothing hostile or scary about them. He had scanned them with his wand and suspected that if he was given a few days he could get past them, if he truly wanted too. He just couldn't understand why _he_ had gotten this close and none of the others had.

Not wanting to push his luck he backed away from the house. Thinking it over, _could it be as simple as he wasn't actually trying to get in? _When he was at a safe distance from the wards he apperated home.

Charlie was sitting at his kitchen table reading over the same documents they had been going over for days now. Probably making sure they had everything. They had four days until the night of the eclipse and their small group had been running itself ragged trying to get everything in place.

It seemed though that Harry and Draco had chosen their friends well. Remus and Snape, with the help of the twins' supply cabinet, had gathered all the ingredients needed for the ritual. George and Blaise had snuck into the Gryffindor and Slytherin dorms and got the items needed for the tethers, without a problem, although Snape had been unhappy to learn a Weasley had been wandering around his school house without supervision. Blaise had sheepishly grinned at his head of house and told him he had kept an eye on him. George had chuckled and both had ran out of the room before the professor could hex them.

After that Lucius and Bill set about trying to find out about Black's trial. With Malfoy working at the ministry it had been easier then expected to find there hadn't been one.

Bill had asked the Goblins about Black's accounts and it turned out the man still had access to his personal and family vaults. The goblins had told Bill that without the proper paperwork from Wizengamot they hadn't shut them down. Goblins it seemed were very particular about their paperwork and protocols.

It had taken two days for Malfoy to find that Dumbledore had signed off on Black's arrest and lack of trail. He had smuggled them the papers and told them to hide them until it was necessary to show them, and only then to someone they trusted.

Fred had spent the few days looking into werewolf laws. It turned out Lupin had a right to Harry. It seemed the small minded purebloods behind the restrictive laws on creatures didn't think about someone giving custody to one. There was no law that stated a werewolf couldn't be a godparent, hell, according to Fred, there were no laws about werewolves and kids at all. It seemed Lupin could even adopt if he wanted. It was something they were going to keep undercover until Harry was back and safe before mentioning to anyone. They didn't want someone trying to change the law until after it was too late.

The last thing they had to do had been the houses.

"How'd it go?" Charlie asked looking up at him.

"I got closer than any of the others. It seemed the Manor liked me enough to get to the porch before it blocked me." Charlie snorted. Bill cocked his head and squinted at his brother.

"The cottage liked me as well. It opened the doors and welcomed me in. No sign of Dumbles anywhere near the place though, so that's good," Charlie said with a smirk.

"Huh," Bill muttered. "It could be the Potter's have some kind of unknown ward that knows if you are friend or foe. It would explain why I got so close and didn't feel threatened and why the cottage just let you in." He sat down. "But if they do, how did Dumbledore fool the Potters before?" he asked more to himself than his brother.

"It could be James and Lily trusted him. So their magic did as well," his brother said thoughtfully.

"Any idea what he wants from inside the Manor?" Charlie asked a second later.

Bill shook his head. "No one even knows what's in the house, let alone what he could be after."

"Well, I sent a letter to the twins, we are meeting up at the cottage tomorrow. Going to straightening everything up inside and out. Make sure it's ready and stocked for Draco and Harry when they get back. Want to join us and do a walk through just to be sure?" Bill nodded.

"So, that's it. Now all we do is wait for Snape, Blaise, and the twins to perform it and pray it works," he looked up just in time to see his brother wince.

"Yeah," Charlie mumbled.

_Great, _Bill thought, _I hated waiting._

"You could always investigate that ward. It could come in handy," Charlie said with a grin. He smiled back, his younger brother knew him well. Keep him distracted so he didn't worry. Not that it was a bad idea. He would head back to the Manor after checking out the cottage in the morning.


	34. Chapter 34

**Chapter 34: **

Draco's POV

Their deadline was fast approaching and Draco was feeling the stress of it. Add in his growing worry about Harry and he was about ready to snap. What had him worried was the ball of nerves and anxiety that was his mate. It had gotten so bad Harry couldn't sleep without him. Harry had dragged him into the Room of Requirements every night since the first they had slept there together. Two weeks of not sleeping in their own beds was starting to draw unwanted attention. Not that Draco really cared. They would be home soon. He hoped. There was also how much time Harry was spending with his young parents. Draco could feel disaster coming. He doubted it would happen until they were back in their time, but he could feel it in his bones. Harry was going to suffer a broken heart soon and there was nothing Draco could do to stop it.

With only two days left, their small group was planning to meet tonight. The meeting was to be held in the shrieking shack. Which he had just learned was only hunted by Lupin's wolf. He had been shocked when Harry gleefully told him that. The meeting was to make sure they had everything ready for the ritual.. Which Draco knew they didn't. There were two small ingredients missing. One he needed to get and one Harry did. Only he hadn't been able to pull his mate away from either of his parents long enough to tell him about it.

His father had scowled at him, the night before when he told him. Lucius told him to stop putting it off or he himself would drag Potter out into the greenhouses to find the right flower.

He was standing in the library at the end of a row of books watching Harry smiling as he talked to his mother. The firey red head had her hand on his arm and was laughing. It was a heartwarming moment until he thought about how she was dead. Not yet, but in two days she would be. At least from his perspective, he looked at Harry, dreading when that fact finally sunk in.

He cleared his throat getting both of their attention. "Sorry, " he said. "I need Evan for a little while." Lily just smiled happily at him. "No problem. I'll catch up with you before dinner?" she asked looking at Harry who nodded and pushed to his feet. "I'll see you then."

"What's up?" Harry asked as they walked away.

"We need to go to the greenhouses. You need to pick out a flower." Harry gave him a confused look.

"The ritual we are using is a mix of two I found. Most of it is simple, a chalk lined circle with well chosen runes and candles. All placed or drawn in just the right way to help direct the magic to doing what we want. There is also a leather strap tied by either Lupin or father, to bind us together. It ensures we travel and stay together. The last two ingredients are flowers that represent us to the magic. We have everything but those." He stopped for a second, cursing himself for forgetting. "We will also need to pick one out for the headmaster."

Harry stopped walking. "Why?"

"The ritual will take us back to Hogwarts, the headmaster is tapped into the castles wards. I have tried my best to set the circle to keep us hidden, linking it to just us, but if we add in a flower to represent him and cover it with a warded black cloth, it should help hide us."

Harry nodded. "So I have to pick a flower that represents me?" he asked.

Draco shook his head. "No, it works better if you pick one for me and I pick one for you."

"Oh," was all the Gryffindor said. Draco separated them into different greenhouses. He didn't want to pressure Harry about the flower he chose. There was a magic to nature that was delicate and he knew Harry understood this small act was significant.

Draco didn't have to go far, he had chosen his flower months ago when he designed the ritual. A blue rose. They grew wild outside the last greenhouse and while they weren't part of the curriculum taught at the school. There were one of the flowers Sev had taught him about.

Blue roses signified mystery and attaining the impossible. It could also mean love at first sight. The tiny blue flower was Harry in every way. He had wanted Harry from their first meeting even if he hadn't understood it at the time. They had somehow become friends despite years of rivalry. Not just friends, by mates, if that wasn't attaining the impossible, Draco didn't know what was. And well Harry would always be a mystery. It took him the better part of 10 minutes to find and cut off the perfect one. He smiled as he placed a stasis charm on the flower and pocketed it. With that done he walked back to see if Harry had finished.

He found the smaller teen standing outside the greenhouse he had been in. Two flowers in his hands. Draco's heart danced at the white snowdrop in Harry's left hand. _Hope and Rebirth._ He didn't know the exact reasons Harry chose that flower, but any flower that told him Harry had hope about him or them was good enough for him. He looked at his mate right hand and winced. A bright red Dahlia. _Betrayal and dishonesty. _

"You okay?" he asked Harry. His mate nodded and shoved both flowers at him. He gave Harry a smile as he took the snowdrop and smelled it. He held onto it while he put the dahlia in his pocket with the rose.

"Have you thought about saying goodbye?" he asked as they walked back to the school.

"To your dad and Remus, yeah. I don't think I can to the others." Draco understood that.

"I'm sorry" he said softly, reaching out to take Harry's hand. Harry stumbled a step and looked down at their hands. They hadn't done this before. Not really. Sure, they had grabbed ahold and dragged each other around by the hand, but never had one of them took the hand just to hold it. His palms started to sweat as he grew nervous, but Harry just tightened his fingers and looked back up at him with a huge smile on his face.

Relieved, Draco smiled back.

_Luc's Pov_

Luc felt guilty for what he was about to do, but he had thought about it for weeks, and he knew it was needed. He needed it. Taking a deep breath he knocked on the potions classroom door. He knew his mate was behind it. Sev was almost always in there working on something new and exciting.

"Come in," Severus called out.

Luc opened the door and sure enough Sev was standing over a boiling cauldron stirring it as the potion switched from green to teal. The black haired teen didn't look up at him once while he finished mixing and started adding a couple things to it.

"I need a favor." He had waited until Sev took a step back from the cauldron. His mate shot him a glare. Luc swallowed. Sev was still upset about him not telling him anything. Although they had found an easy peace of the last week or so, he knew Sev was still angry.

"What?" his mate drew out with a sigh.

He stepped forward and handed him a piece of parchment. It was for a potion. One he was sure he could brew himself but he couldn't take the chance he got something wrong. Severus was a master at potions, he had no doubt if the other teen brew it, it would be perfect.

"Luc?" His mate sounded worried as he looked up from the potion to study him. "Please tell me what's going on?" The parchment shook in his hand. "This-"

"I know what it does, Sev." He stepped forward and took his lover's chin in his hand. He rubbed his thumb in soothing circles on the other's cheek. After a second he brushed it over Sev's bottom lip. His mate closed his eyes and opened his mouth in a soundless plea. They hadn't touched much since that night. He knew they were both desperate to feel each other again. He pressed the finger into the warm mouth. Sev moaned as Luc pressed it over the top of the other's teeth and pushed it further back to rub over his tongue. Said tongue wrapped around his thumb and then Severus sucked. Luc bit back a moan of his own.

He leaned in to put his mouth just over his lover's ear and whispered, "Will you make it if I swear it has nothing to do with you?" He felt Sev shiver.

"Your word," the other teen demanded over the thumb in his mouth, the pressure of teeth over the top of his finger increased in warning.

"You have it," he said softly. Severus nipped at his thumb and Luc pulled it away.

"Luc, this is a dangerous potion. I wish you would tell me why you need it," his mate said stepping away from him.

"Sev, I cannot. Maybe someday this will all make sense."

The other teen just shook his head and turned back to his cauldron. "It will be ready in the morning."

"Sev," he pleaded stepping towards his mate.

"Please, just go," his mate said softly. He nodded even though Severus wasn't looking at him and backed out of the room.

He knew he was asking a lot. Especially with the potion he just begged the man to brew, but he had no other options. He just hoped that in the future when Draco and Harry were back in their own time, this would all make sense to his mate. After all Draco had said Severus was part of the group trying to bring them home. So future him had to understand all past him secrets, right?

_Remus POV_

It was a little strange heading into the shack without it being a full moon, but that was the only place all four of them could agree on to meet tonight. They had to perform the ritual the next night, and they wanted to go over everything one final time. Part of him didn't want to. He was worried something would go wrong. Like Harry and Draco being tossed into yet another time that was not their own. Not to mention Moony was already restless about their cub leaving them. He tried to reassure the wolf they would see him again, but it didn't seem to believe him. It caused this empty feeling in his chest that he was trying desperately to ignore.

Harry was already there when he walked into the room. He was sitting in the middle of the room reading over James's inheritances book.

"Hey," he said looking down at his best friend's son.

"How'd you know I found my mate?" Harry asked without looking up from his book.

"Huh?" he asked taken by surprise.

"When you told me you knew who I was. You knew how? Because I have read this damn thing front to back and it doesn't say." Harry growled frustrated at the book.

"Does it talk about submissives seeking out their mates when overwhelmed?" he asked sitting down next to his cub. Harry nodded, then stopped and looked at him.

"Is that what I did?"

Remus nodded. "I kind of blindsided you with the information and you panicked. So your instincts kicked in and told you to get to Draco. Your scent as also changed a bit. I'm sure when you're home and the glamours are taken away, you will find it more pronounced. Especially if you continue to share a bed."

Harry's cheeks turned bright red and Remus chuckled. He looked away giving his young cub a second to pull himself together. He noticed a different book on the floor. One he was very familiar with. He sighed and picked it up, waving it at Harry in question.

"I don't have an animal," Harry said with a shrug. "Draco has this beautiful leopard. And he says his dad is similar but all black. You're a werewolf and Dad and Siri are both animagus."

"So you want to be as well," he asked. Harry nodded.

"How long have you been studying?" he asked placing the book back on the ground.

"Just the last week or so. I know I won't get one until I'm back, but I wanted to at least start." Remus smiled. He could hear both Malfoy's walking down the tunnel.

"Cub, ask me about it when you get back okay. I helped those two, I'm sure I can help you." There was a weird flash of something across Harry's eyes but he didn't get a chance to ask because the other two walked in.

"Hello," Lucius said.

"Hey," Harry said quietly next to him. Remus nodded his hello to the Slytherins but his attention was on his cub, who suddenly smelled sad and guilty.

"Harry?" he asked, reaching over to take the other's shoulder by his hand. Harry wouldn't look at him. Instead he shrugged the hand off and stood up.

"We got the flowers," Harry told the room. Remus was so confused, he looked up to see the older Malfoy looking between him and Harry. Clearly the pureblood had noticed it, whatever it was as well.

"Harry?" he tried again, standing up. His stubborn cub inched closer to his mate and grabbed the surprised blonde's hand. He caught the confused look on Draco's face as the younger slytherin looked around the room.

"That's everything right?" Harry asked, clearly ignoring Remus. Moony growled inside his head.

"Cub." This time it wasn't a question it was an order and he saw Harry still. Slowly Harry raised his head to look at him.

"What's going on?" he asked gently now that he had his cub's attention.

He heard Harry swallow. "I didn't tell you," he mumbled looking away again.

"You didn't tell me what?" he asked mind racing as he tried to figure out what he didn't know.

He heard Draco sigh, as the blonde leaned in and whispered in Harry's ear. He was sure he wasn't meant to hear but he's ears were better than most.

"This is about the letter?" he saw Harry nod.

"You didn't send me a letter?" he asked, now understanding. Harry hadn't sent him a letter. Future him didn't know what was going on, and Harry felt guilty about it.

He didn't even wait for a response before asking, "Why not?"

Harry just shook his head. The stale smell of guilt got worse and Remus had to breath out of his mouth to avoid gagging on it.

"He had just-" Harry elbowed Draco in the stomach, cutting him off.

"He didn't want to find out for sure if you did or did not betray him." Lucius said. Causing Harry to look up surprised and angry at the other Malfoy. His cub turned to glare at his mate, who it seemed had told his father things Harry hadn't wanted to share.

"I don't understand," Remus said.

"The headmaster and two of his best friends had just betrayed him," Draco said. This time Harry didn't try and stop him. His cub just dropped his head and looked down at the floor. "Sirius had sent him a note, telling him to trust no one," the young Slytherin went on, "Harry," there was a pointed look at his mate, "knows you wouldn't have betrayed him. But…" Remus waved the blonde off as he finally understood.

Harry trusted him, but still held worry that he was wrong, and he hadn't had the heart to find out for sure.

He walked over and wrapped his cub in a bone crushing hug. "It's okay," he whispered, and it was. He couldn't hold fear of being betrayed by someone he loved against Harry.

"You will just have to go to me after you get back," he said. If he hadn't been looking over Harry's head he wouldn't have seen the grin Draco shot his father. Who in return rolled his eyes. He almost questioned it, but Draco saw him and shook his head. He let it go. For now.

Harry pulled away. "I'm sorry," he said.

"It's okay," he said again giving Harry a smile.

"Now, can we please go over the ritual?" Lucius asked.


	35. Chapter 35

**Chapter 35: **

_Harry POV_

Him and Draco had spent all of that last day with their parents. Lucius had taken Draco down to the lake. Harry hadn't asked what they were doing. It felt personal and private. He just hugged Draco and told him he would see him later.

Harry on the other hand had talked his parents and Siri into going out to the quidditch pitch, with the help of Remus. Somehow Remus had gotten a hold of brooms for each of them. Harry had been surprised when his mother had grabbed one, huge smile on her face and kicked off from the ground. He had always heard about his father's skills on a broom. No one had even mentioned his mother's. He had always just assumed that like Hermione she hadn't like to fly. He was wrong. His mother was fast and graceful, she would have made an excellent seeker.

Sirius and Remus had been more calm in their takeoffs and fly. They seemed to have decided on sticking close together talking. Though from time to time they would appear at his or his father's side, trying to distract them from the game of chasing the snitch they had started. He was having a blast, even if he was down by one when he noticed the sun slowly disappearing. He sighed and aimed towards the ground.

Part of him knew this was a great memory to leave with, but it still hurt that he was leaving. That he wouldn't get to do this with his parents again. The others quickly landed around him. Remus looked sad, the others, just a little confused.

He fought back tears as he told them he had to go meet Draco. With little more than a second of hesitation he hugged his father. Then Siri and last his mother. While his father and godfather hugged him back, still a little confused. His mother hugged him tight, like she knew something was wrong.

He kept himself composed as Remus told the others he would walk him back. It wasn't until he was sure they were out of sight that he let his body shake. He stumbled a little and Remus thankfully caught him and locked their arms together. Harry clung to it as they walked. Unable to speak they made their way inside the castle and down the dark hallways in silence.

Draco had searched the castle when he first arrived in the same hallway they had disappeared. It was there that they found the two Malfoys waiting.

"You okay?" Draco asked as he moved over and took his other arm. Harry nodded but didn't speak, he still wasn't sure he could.

They were quiet as the older Malfoy and Remus drew a large circle on the ground. It was unlike any Harry had seen before. It was like a circle with another circle inside it. Only in between the two were hand drawn runes. Harry hadn't taken Ancient Runes so couldn't name which was which or what each rune meant. Though Draco had given him the details a couple days before. The 4 runes, one at each compass point were _Uruz_, for unexpected changes, _Raidho_, for Travel and relocation, _Gebo,_ exchange and balance, and _Algiz_ for protection. Draco said they were the foundation for the spell. The pathway or doorway for jumping from the past to their present time. Hopefully.

Outside the circle 6 candles, one black, two gold, and three yellow, these were to help guide the spell. Those Harry did know about. A black candle to absorb or repelling negative energy or magic. Two golden for male energy, him and Draco, also for fortune or luck, he had snorted at that but Draco said every little bit helped, and Three yellow, for bringing plans into action and a hope of seeing a better future. He had smiled at those and prayed Draco's carefully picked meanings would work.

His heart pounded as it was all finished and him and Draco were moved to stand at the center.

Lucius and Remus approached them. Harry lunged out and hugged the wolf. He could hear Draco and his father talking in low voices but he didn't pay much attention.

"I'll owl you," he said, "When I get back. I promise."

Remus tightened his arms around him, and told him, "I'll be waiting."

"Be Careful," the sandy haired werewolf said as he pulled away. "And stay safe." Harry nodded and moved back to stand in front of Draco. He wasn't even embarrassed by the tears that he could feel rolling down his face. Draco took his hand and gave it an understanding squeeze.

They stared at each while Remus wrapped a soft leather strap around their wrists. Harry tried to control his breathing as he felt the air around them start to buzz. He could feel moisture building in between their hands as him and Draco held onto each other with everything they had.

He could hear the other two men mumble from outside the circle but he couldn't hear the words. His ears started to ring. Than a blinding light of whites and blues circled them. Nerves built and he felt himself move closer to Draco, whose other arm shot out and wrapped around him, pulling him close.

Suddenly he jerked and the world spun. The world went dark as the light disappeared. He stumbled, horrified that it hadn't worked. Two strong arms caught him, Remus he thought, but his ears were still ringing so he couldn't hear anything other than muffled voices. He looked up to thank him, and his heart stopped.

George was talking his eyes wide and panicked but Harry couldn't quite make any of it out. He surged forward and wrapped the red head into a bone crushing hug. He felt George return it.

Draco's POV

He knew the second someone caught him that the spell had worked. The smell coming off whoever it was, wasn't his father or Remus. His head throbbed as he looked up and into the grinning face of one of the Weasley twins. He gave which ever one it was a smile and looked to the side to see Harry and the other twin hugging. He pulled himself free of the twin holding him and shoved him towards his brother and Harry. The redhead gave him another smile and threw himself at the other two.

A hand on his shoulder surprised him, he turned and was engulfed in a hug of his own. Honeysuckle hit his nose and he clutched at his godfather. He felt Severus chest vibrate and the muted sound of his godfathers voice sounded like he was asking if he was okay.

"Ears are ringing," he said. "Can't hear. But I'm okay," He replied and then Sev was pulling away and shoving potions at him. He almost laughed and the normalcy of it. He downed both potions and in a matter of seconds the linger vertigo and ringing faded.

"Thank you," he said.

"You had me worried, Dragon," Sev said softly.

"Sorry," he mumbled.

He felt a little dazed by his godfather. It was strange to have two versions of the man in his head. The younger more reserved one and the one he grew up with.

"I'll take those," one of the twins said appearing at Sev's side, snatching two potion bottles from his hand and rushing over to hand them to Harry. His godfather hadn't even looked bothered by it. Draco felt a little guilty for not having thought about it but he was feeling a little overwhelmed.

Harry looked over at them saw Snape, nodded a thank you and took the potions. Draco had to chuckle at the surprised look on his godfathers face when Harry drank both potions without any questions.

Sev turned and glared at him.

"What?" he asked.

The man just rolled his eyes. "We have much to talk about."

"That we do," he said, sounding a little angry for the first time since he got back.

Sev's shoulders sagged. "How much do you know?" the man asked.

"En-" he started but when one of the twins shouting Harry's name he spun around. Harry hadn't collapsed like his panicked mind imagined instead he had taken off down the hallway.

Both twins and Blaise, _the hell had he missed his best friend,_ looked at him with an expression that could only be, '_I didn't do it.' _

"Please tell me, the wolf is here somewhere?" he asked the group. The twins nodded.

"We couldn't…"

"Get him into the school-

"His in the shake," Blaise either finished or cut them off Draco wasn't too sure, but either way the twins just grinned at his friend. Draco wondered if he should be worried about that. He turned to his godfather.

"Can you send a message and tell him Harry is most likely headed that way." Sev nodded.

"What happened?" Blaise asked, pulling Draco's attention away from the potion master.

"He just lost his family for the second time," Draco said softly. He heard all three gasp.

"Come," Sev said moving to stand next to him. "They will meet us at a prearranged spot." Draco's stomach sank at the idea of leaving Harry. He knew logically his mate needed Lupin right now, but still it felt wrong.

"It will be okay, Dragon," Sev whispered and Draco let himself be dragged out of the school.

_Harry's Pov_

Something about seeing the twins, hugging them, had been to much. It hurts. Like something being ripped out of his chest. He suddenly had trouble breathing and needed to get away. Needed not to see the reminder of what he had just left behind. He ran. All he could think about was never seeing his parents again. About the 13 years of hell Sirius had to endure. The 13 years of loneliness Remus had suffered. He could have stopped it, but he hadn't.

He heard someone shout his name as he left the hallways. He hadn't looked back. He couldn't.

He wasn't paying attention to where he was going, he just needed to get away. It was more muscle memory and habit that lead him through the castle and outside. He stumbled a couple times over the change in the ground before he slammed into someone.

The sudden stop hurts, but whoever he had crashed into didn't make a sound, just wrapped their arms around him. Pulling him against their chest. The smell of trees and woods greeted him and he gasped at the feeling of being home. His knees buckled as he sobbed into Remus's chest.

_Luc's POV_

He watched as the brilliant light faded. The portal closing as the two boys faded away. He stood there frozen as he prayed his son made it home. He looked over to see Lupin's amber eyes rimmed in tears. He didn't tease the other teen as it was taking all his own willpower not to do the same. He carefully reached into his pocket and pulled out two tiny bottles. With a resigned sigh he turned to the wolf.

He wondered if they could have been friends? Maybe in a different place or time. One where his father wasn't about to force him to marry an awful woman he couldn't stand or pureblood standards he didn't hate unequivocally?

Or maybe one where he wasn't aware of his own faults. Which had lead him to having his mate brew the potion in his hand.

Lupin looked up at him, head cocked to the side as he took in the bottles.

"They were right, you know, about some things," he said, handing over one of the bottles."We know too much, and as much I want to say I'm stronger than temptation or emotion, I can't risk it. These will block our memories of Draco and Harry. At least for now."

"What if Harry was right and you're not on our side? In the future?" Remus asked, though he had removed to cork.

_It was a good question. _"Whether I am or not. I would never place my son at risk. I wouldn't betray Draco."

"You brew it?" the wolf asked, smelling the contents.

"Severus," he answered.

Lupin's eyes brows shot up.

"I didn't tell him anything," he said. "He is angry at me because of it, but I hope one day he will understand." He brought the bottle to his lips and drank it. It tasted like ash and burned on its way down.

When it was gone, he looked at the wolf, "I hope I'm not," he said, Remus lifted a brow, "on the wrong side," he clarified. Remus gave him a half smile and drank his own potion.

"Me too," the wolf said after he was done. They didn't stay there after that. Both quickly headed back towards their common room, already forgetting details about what they had been doing.


	36. Chapter 36

**Chapter 36**

_**Harry POV**_

At first he had been confused when Remus told him the cottage they apparated to was his, then he was angry. How _dare_ the headmaster keep this from him. How dare he keep all of this from him, it wasn't about the houses or the money. It was the photos, heirlooms, the information. Things that connected him to his parents and the world they were part of. Harry know it was about control. Dumbledore had done everything he could to force Harry to rely on him. He kept him ignorant about his magic and heritage. The headmaster had kept him away from the people that would have taught him, cared about him, and he had bound him, all so that Harry knew no better than to seek out and depend on the headmaster.

"Cub?" Remus's voice pulled him out of his head and away from the building anger. He blinked and turned his head to look at the man. "You okay?"

Harry shook his head, "No, but I will be."

He looked back at the cottage. It really was beautiful and the flowers and plants he could see popping up along the front yard, not to mention the greenhouse he could see on the side, would have been enough to make Neville swoon. He smiled, his mother had great taste.

"Come let's get inside," Remus said in a soft voice. He let Remus lead him into the house.

When they entered the living room he froze. Sitting on the couch were Bill and Charlie. The twins on the right whispering to each other. He had been expecting Draco, George, and Fred, maybe Snape if the man had wanted to stay, but not the other two Weasleys. He tried to ignore the fear that he felt coming. _The twins wouldn't have brought their brothers here if they didn't trust them, _he told himself.

"Harry." His head snapped to Fred, who was slowly moving towards him. "It's okay. We questioned them under veritaserum, they didn't know what Ron, Hermione, and Dumbledore, were doing." Harry let out a breath.

"Sorry," he muttered to the two older Weasleys.

"Don't be," Charlie said. "If we were you, we'd be cautious too." The dragon tamer gave him a smile and Harry felt himself return it.

"Where's Draco?" He asked, feeling the urge to be near his mate.

He tried not to blush when the twins' face both broke out into huge grins.

"He wanted to come here-" George started

"But Severus took him-

"Somewhere first-

"They'll be back-

"Soon," they finished together.

It hit him then. _He was home. _He was finally home. They had done it.

He looked at the people in the room, these weren't the liars and fakes, these were the ones that he could count on and trust. He may have lost Ron and Hermione, but he had gained Draco. Who more than made up for the horrible people he believed to be his closest friends. He moved towards the couch, opposite the one Bill and Charlie were seated. It was only as he dropped himself down onto the soft cushions he realised someone was missing.

He turned and looked over the back of the couch at Remus. "Where's padfoot?"

The werewolf smiled at him but before he could say anything they heard the door open.

"Stupid fucking…" He heard Draco curse but his attention was elsewhere. It was on the large black mass that had shot into the room, jumped over the couch and tackled him. He was too busy laughing to snap at his godfather for licking his face.

"Thought you found that disgusting," he heard Draco say as the blonde came around the couch and into Harry's line of sight. Harry just grinned and buried his face into the fur around Sirius's neck.

"Perfect timing," the twins said with a dramatic sigh. Harry heard more than one person laugh.

There was a few minutes of him hugging and petting his godfather before Remus walked over and grabbed the Grim by the scruff of his neck and pulled him off.

"Okay, enough of that," the sandy haired man said shaking the animal. There was a whine and then Padfoot was gone and Sirius was standing there, Remus's hand still on his neck. Harry laughed at the sheepish look the black haired man sent to his friend.

"I missed you guys," he said grinning at them.

"We missed you too," Remus said.

"You had us worried," Sirius almost spoke over his friend, "don't ever do that again," they finished in a twin like moment.

Harry chuckled, "I can't guarantee that."

"But you'll _try," _Sirius command.

Harry could see how worried his godfather was, so he nodded, "I'll try."

The room fell silent. No one seemed to want to broach the next subject, even if it was on their minds.

"What happens now?" Draco asked a short time later, moving to sit next to Harry.

It seemed everyone looked at someone else, the whole room was begging someone else to go first. Harry sighed, but it was Bill that spoke first.

"Well you two have been missing for a little over two months. People are suspicious. The Prophet has released a couple of stories asking about what the two of you have been up too and why you both disappeared on family emergencies at the same time, but the stories the headmaster and Lucius Malfoy have released are keeping most of the conspiracy theories at bay."

"For now," the twins said in sync.

"The stories will only get worse when you return at the same time," Remus said.

Harry turned his head and looked at Draco. The blonde looked contemplative.

"What if we have a cover story?" The slytherin asked looking at Remus.

"What kind of cover story?" Fred asked, eyebrow raised.

"Kidnapping," Draco said with a small smirk. "The headmaster doesn't know the truth, if we can come up with a good enough story we may be able to get him to believe it as well. That means he won't be suspicious of you" he looked at Harry, "or me. Plus it will give us time to figure out his plans and work around them."

Harry thought it sounded like a good idea. If they could manage to keep the headmaster from figure out he knew the truth, the old man would never suspect Harry of working against him. Which was good. However…

"What about the bindings?" he asked, "or…" He stopped and looked from Remus to Draco. Remus was the only one in the room knew that him and Draco were mates. The younger version had said his scent had changed and when he removed the glamours, which for some reason him and Draco still wore, it would get more pronounced.

The wolf smiled at him. "We can hide the broken bindings with a spell, as long as you act like he expects you should be fine." He seemed to hesitate for a second, his eyes darting from Harry to Draco before he grinned happily, "As for anything creature related," Draco snorted behind him, "the glamours you wear can be altered to hide that."

"Creature?" Several voices asked at once. Harry blushed and dropped his head.

"Harry came into his inheritance over the summer," Remus told the room.

"Awww," the twins said dramatically, rushing over from where they had been standing by their brothers and wrapped their arms around him.

"What kind?" Fred asked, excitedly.

He wiggled a little seeing if he could get out of the twins arms but they didn't seem to want to let him go, he sighed. "The book my father had called us the Descendants of Bastet. From what I was able to learn, we are fast and great reflexes," he chuckled. "Which is probably why I'm so good at Quidditch. There was something about our family once having an animal form, but it seemed the last few generations haven't been able to, but those who had were immune to most magics in that form. Kinda cool," he finished.

"Awesome."

"Sweet."

He grinned happy that the twins both seemed excited about it.

"As interesting as this is," a cold voice said, causing everyone in the room to look back towards the entrance of the room. "We should be making plans." Snape stood there, looking only slightly irritated.

Harry saw the annoyed look on his godfathers face, he winced thinking about the impending argument between the two.

Instead he was surprised when Sirius stood and spoke calmly, "we are going to come with cover story about them being kidnapped. It would explain their disappearance and reappearance at the same time. Added bonus of keeping the old coot in the dark about what we know. Remus is going to work a way to alter the boys' glamours to hide the lack of bindings and Harry's inheritance." Harry saw Snape's eyebrows raise in surprise, probably from the lack of venom in Sirius's voice. Sirius looked at Harry and Draco a glint in his eyes, Harry felt a small wave of worry about what else the man was planning. "The kidnapping also gives these two an excuse to start a friendship. The experience of being taken and held together for two months would give anyone time to get over childish rivalries ." Everyone chuckled, expect Snape who gave a small snort.

"How did you become friends?" a quiet voice asked. Somehow Harry had missed the olive skinned slytherin standing just off to the side of the Potions Master.

"Blaise right?" Harry asked. The other boy nodded. Harry stood up and walked over, sticking his hand out. Blaise looked surprised but took his hand.

"I think we became friends at first because we only had each other there," Harry said, he dropped the other boys hand and gestured with his head towards the couches. As they walked over and sat down, Harry kept talking. "Then I realized Draco wasn't who I thought he was. He wasn't cold hearted, or cruel. In fact, he was understanding and patient," Draco shot him a glare, Harry just smirked at him, "and without outside pressure we were able to talk and get to know each other."

"Can you tell us what happened pup?" Sirius asked. Harry looked up at his godfather. He took the man in. The messy black hair, dark shadows under pink irritated eyes, and the light pale tone of his skin. He felt guilty knowing that some of that was because of the worry over him, but he also felt angry because some of it was left over from Azkaban and seeing Sirius know after having seen him young, healthy, and happy, made him want to make the headmaster pay.

He let his eyes drift over Snape and Remus too. He compared them to the younger versions he had spent the last few months around and he didn't like what he saw. Both men looked worn out; the years and long war hadn't been good for either of them.

Remus, who had been left alone after his best friends had either been killed or imprisoned. Seemed to have lost himself in his grief and werewolf curse. It had caused the kind hearted and caring sandy haired teen they had meet to become unsure and reserved.

Snape, who had became Severus during his whispered lectures in potions had become standoffish and angry. He went from the young man that had offered Harry his hand when they had collided in a hallway to someone who almost never offered help, even to the students he taught.

The changes caused Harry's chest to hurt and he leaned back, subconsciously moving towards Draco for comfort. He felt Draco's arms wrap around his waist and then he was pulled close against the blonde. He closed his eyes. He wasn't sure he wanted to see the faces on those around him at the moment. He did hear a couple whispers but no one shouted or yelled so that was a good sign.

"We ended up back in your 6th year," Draco said from behind him. "The goblins helped up fake documents and hide our appearances so that we could attend Hogwarts." Harry shifted and tried to bury his face into the blondes chest. He heard a chuckle from someone but ignored it.

"Why go at all?" Blaise asked.

"We had no choice," Draco replied. "The goblins knew about time travel, or at least that it was possible, but they didn't know how to send us back. Our best chance at finding the information we needed was at Hogwarts."

"That must have been weird." Because he wasn't looking at them he couldn't tell which twin had made the comment but he snorted at it anyways. So did Draco.

"Oh yeah, seeing my father young and less intense was strange, but it was-" The blonde sounded amused and Harry got the feeling he was about to say something inappropriate, he blindly reached up his hand and tried to cover the blondes mouth. He hit a cheek first, which got an annoyed sound from Draco before he slid his hand over and covered his mouth.

"Be nice," Harry muttered into the blonde's chest. He heard and felt the breath the blonde took. Then a wet tongue darted out and licked his hand. It startled him enough that he jumped up and glared at the blonde. Who just smirked at him.

"Fine, say whatever you want," Harry said, "but when Snape turns you into potions ingredients it's your own fault." Draco narrowed his eyes at him then looked over Harry's shoulder.

The blonde made unhappy face and muttered, "Whatever."

Harry laughed at his mate's pouting.

"Harry?"

He turned and looked at the twins. Fred had a sad look on his face while George avoided his eyes. It was Fred that spoke or more whispered like he was afraid to ask the question, "Did you get to meet your parents?"

Harry sucked in a breath. The question surprised him when it really shouldn't have. He nodded his head, "Yeah."

Then he smiled, because while it hurt that they were gone. He had gotten to meet them. He knew the sound of his father's voice and mother's laugh. He knew his father favored strawberry jam on his toast while his mom seemed partial to butter. He knew how kind his mother was and that his father had a habit of falling asleep in History of magic. The twins saw his smile and grinned back at him. Looking relieved that he had happy memories.

"Tell us about them?" they said together.

"My mom-" He was caught off by Remus gasping and stumbling forward. Sirius and Severus both reaching for him. Harry was out of Draco's arms and off the couch in a blink of an eye.

"Remus?" He whispered. The wolf raised his head up, eyes wide and amber.

"Evan," the man whispered, his gaze shifting to Draco, "and Luke." He sounded stunned, "I remember." Then Harry was wrapped in the man's arms and held tight enough he thought his ribs might crack.

"What do you mean you remember?" Draco asked from the couch, "How'd could you have forgotten?" Harry pulled away and looked back at his mate, who sounded angry. Then back at Remus, _had the man forgotten them?_ That didn't seem right, he reacted like he knew things that the younger Remus knew. Like his happy grin when Harry almost mentioned him and Draco being mates? _But wait, didn't the wolf hesitated before he said anything? _

"Your father," the wolf said looking at the blonde, "he was worried we would give into the temptation to change things-"

"Bastard," Snape snapped suddenly. "He made me brew a memory potion. It would have altered their memories. He wouldn't tell me why, but said someday it would make sense. He knew who you were?" The dark haired potion master was glaring at his godson, who just gave a short nod.

"It just wore off?' Harry asked Remus, ignoring the two slytherins. Confused, but not overly worried, it didn't matter if Remus didn't remember anything before, he cleary did now. He saw the sandy haired man nod. "Well, that's goo-" He stopped, "Wait, does that mean it wore off for Mister Malfoy too?" He saw Remus's eyes widen and they both looked over at Snape for an answer.

The man seemed to think about it for a second. Then he sighed, "Probably. I should go speak with him." He went to walk away but Draco shouting,"Wait!" caused him to stop.

"I want to go with you." The blonde jumped off the couch and started to his godfather, who was shaking his head.

"Why not?" Draco asked.

"We can't take the risk of someone seeing you before, your and Potter's miraculous rescue." Snape said.

"Oh," Draco muttered, and Harry moved to stand next to his mate.

"What about a letter?" he asked the potions professor. "Something just to let his father know he is home and okay." Snape nodded his approval and Draco darted across the room towards a desk Harry hadn't noticed before. He tried not to chuckle at the blonde.

Wanting to give Draco a moment to write his letter Harry turned back to his friends and started telling them about his parents and some of the things he had learned while in the past. At some point Draco joined him on the couch and joined in. No one commented when they cuddled close together as they talked nor when they fell asleep in each other's arms.


	37. Chapter 37

**Chapter 37: **

_**Harry POV**_

It was decided that night that Remus, Sirius and Draco would stay at his parents' cottage with him. Sirius and Remus because they refused to be away from their godson and Draco because they didn't want anyone seeing him just yet. Though Draco made a point to pull Harry aside and inform him he would have stayed anyways.

The Weasleys however felt it would be better if they returned to their homes. They didn't want anyone noticing them all disappearing for long periods of time together. They had to act normal so the rest of their family or Dumbledore got suspicious.

Blaise, thanks to his mother and Snape, was able to stay a few days. His mother writing the school saying she needed him home for a few days for familial matters. Thankfully the Headmaster hadn't found anything off about the request.

With Draco distracted by his best friend, Harry was able to sneak off to the library with the twins and get a few answers to some of his more burning questions.

"Okay," he said nervously as he dropped down in a chair. "Where do you two want to start?"

He watched as they exchanged a look, then Fred pulled out a massive stack of papers.

"These are your vaults records: earnings, deposits, withdrawals, and such." He handed the papers to Harry, who looked at them already feeling overwhelmed. "Most of your earnings are from things you father and grandfather had investments in. It's a pretty good amount and it's been a stable income for years-"

"The problem is the withdrawals." Harry opened his mouth, _withdrawals?_ What withdrawals he had only been to his vault once and the small amounts he had used over the years for school supplies was left over from that first visit. He had been meticulous about budgeting his money. He wanted to save up as much as possible so that second he turned 17 he could get away from the Dursleys. Even after meeting Sirius he still was careful with his money.

George cut him off before he could even speak, "Dumbledore, as your legal guardian, which legally he's not, has been taking money out of your account for years." Harry growled, it was low in his chest but loud enough that both twins raised their eyebrows at him.

He swallowed, trying to push down the rage he felt. "Did he take it all?" He managed to ask in a low voice.

The twins shook their heads.

"It seems your grandfather had a stipulation on the vault when he created it for your father. If something should happen and you were raised by anyone other than your parents an allowance of sorts would be set up. They would only be able to withdraw a limited amount each month. Dumbledore-"

"The goblin we spoke to said, your grandfather, while friendly, wasn't the trusting sort and he wanted to make sure if anything happened you were taken care of," Fred said giving him a smile.

"It seems that Dumbles was smart enough to leave the bare amount of the allowance each month in case you needed or wanted to spend any of your money," George finished dropping his eyes. The normally playful redhead wore a guilty look. Harry looked at Fred for an explanation and saw the same look. _Crap, _he thought, that meant there was more.

"Tell me," he ordered.

"As far as we can tell-" George started.

"He has been using it to pay off-"

"Your _nasty_ relatives-" There was a sneer on Fred's face when he said relatives.

"Ron,-" Both twins winced at the name.

"Granger,-

"Mum,-"

"And Ginny."

"Fuck," he cursed, Harry pushed himself out of the chair and stormed across the library. In front of one of the bookshelves he reached out for a book, an image in his mind of Draco chucking books across the room back in the Room of Requirements, for a second he was tempted, so tempted to copy the blonde's tantrum. Instead he turned and walked back towards the chair. The anger inside him was too intense for him to be able to sit down. So he started pacing in front of the twins.

"What else?" He asked. He was facing away so he didn't notice the worried looks on his friends' faces.

"You asked us about werewolf laws?" One of them whispered. Harry's stopped moving and his head dropped. The careful tone of whichever brother spoke, told him enough, _Remus could have raised him. _

"Dumbledore stopped it?" He asked, turning to look at the twins.

"He somehow forged papers giving him temporary custody of you and used that to deny Remus's petition to raise you," George said. "We think he lied and told Remus it had been denied because he was a werewolf."

"With Remus' own fears over Moony, Dumbledore probably laid it on thick, you know, about how much danger you would be in during full moons and how people would never be okay with a werewolf raising The Boy Who Lived," Fred finished looking almost as heartbroken as Harry was feeling.

"Bastard," Harry growled. Then he was moving again. His mind working over possible plans for the old man. He had a thought about it in the past, a lot. Probably too much. He had so many ideas but no real set plan. But now, he knew he needed one, and whatever it was he was going to make sure that Dumbledore knew it was because of what he had done and that it was Harry who had beaten him.

He also made a mental note to pull Remy aside and tell him the truth. The man deserved to know he wasn't denied Harry because of Moony, but because the headmaster was a manipulative arsehole.

"Is there more?" He asked a few minutes later, only stopping his pacing long enough to look at them when he asked. He wished he hadn't because gone were the sad, guilty looks replaced with fury.

"He placed a second tracer on your wand," Fred said. "It allowed him access to the spells you cast and tells him immediately if you use it over the summer."

"He tried to gain control over the Potter family seats in the Wizengamot, both were denied." George gave a grin at the denial. "Those seats are yours, even if you are underage. He needed your permission, even if he was your guardian-"

"Which, he couldn't ask for," Fred cut in with a grin.

"Because he would have to tell you about them," George added.

"Which we're betting he doesn't want you to know about," they said together.

Harry chuckled at them then asked, "Why not?" The only real dealing he had with the Wizengamot was the ridiculous trial for use of underage magic and using it in from of Dudley.

"Because Harry," Draco's voice scared the shit outta him. He yelped and turned to glare at his mate, who just smirked at him. The blonde dragged an unsure and confused Blaise into the room. Pushed said confused friend at the twins and then walked over to wrap an arm around Harry.

"The Wizengamot makes and upholds our laws. It's older than the Ministry itself, that alone means just having a seat gives one a higher standing in our society. If the fool would have gotten to use your seats, _your name,_ he would have gained two more seats to use to pass any laws he wanted, and the reputation as your trusted advisor. As the public would see him voting in _your place _and believe he had your permission and trust to do so."

Harry relaxed into Draco's touch, the feel and comfort from his mate helped ease some of his fury. He turned his head and buried his nose into the base of Draco's throat. The blonde tilting his head to allow him to do so. It didn't even cross his mind that they hadn't told everyone about them, no one outside of Remus and Sirius knew, well he suspected that Snape knew, but hadn't asked Draco about it.

Harry had told Sirius because the man hadn't been sure about him and Draco sharing a room. Even with Remus voicing his approval. So, Harry had told his godfather that him and Draco were mates and that they slept better together. Sirius only stipulation was they had to sleep with the door open. Draco had grumbled but agreed.

The room was silent for a few minutes while Harry grounded himself. When he felt less like he was going to apparate out and attack the headmaster, he pulled away and gave his friends a grateful smile. Draco moved to stand behind him, arms around his waist, chin on his shoulder. It was both comforting and comfortable so Harry didn't push him away, even if he was a little embarrassed by the smirks the twins were sending their way.

"_So,_'' he drew out the word, trying to get them all back on track. "That means I can ask someone to use my seats?"

"Yep," four voices said together.

Harry chuckled. "I'll have to talk to Sirius and Remus about those." He locked eyes with the twins, "What else?"

"Good news," Fred started, "You have a second vault that the headmaster didn't know about, its family heirlooms and such." The redhead was grinning but something felt off about it. Harry sighed, "Bad news?" He asked. Fred's smile fell and he looked at his twin. Who shifted in his seat and looked back at his brother.

"They're stalling," Draco whispered in his ear. Harry nodded; he had figured the same thing. Whatever it was they were putting off was worse than Dumbledore stealing his money and keeping custody away from Remus. Harry's heart started to thump in his chest, _What the hell could be worse,_ he wondered.

"Just spit it out already," Draco snapped.

"He's trying to get into Potter Manor," George said, still not quite looking at Harry.

"Desperately," they said together.

"But the wards aren't lettin' him in," Fred finished alone, he too wasn't looking at Harry.

"We just don't know what he wants from inside," George said to the floor. His gaze slowly slipping further away from Harry as the twins talked.

"And?" Draco asked for him, because Harry had yet to find his voice.

"Your parents wills," Fred muttered as George whipsered, "A marriage contract."

"To Ginny," Fred said in the same low voice.

Both flinched when a loud growl echoed through the room. Harry quickly spun around to face Draco. The blonde's eyes were open, wide and very cat like. Harry could tell from the way Draco's jaw was stretching and the tight way he was holding his body, that his mate was fighting not to change and was losing.

_Shit,_ he thought.

"Draco," he whispered, he moved ready to wrap his arms around his mate. To comfort him and reassure him that he wasn't going anywhere. But before he could, he was shoved backwards, there was a yelp from someone behind him as they jumped out of the way, Harry was forced back against a now vacated chair. The back of his knees hit it and he fell backwards. He looked up at a very pissed off Draco standing over him.

"_Mine,"_ Draco growled and in the next instant a gorgeous leopard landed in his lap. Two paws on his shoulders, as if to hold him in place, then soft fur pressed against his cheek as Draco started rubbing his face against Harry's own. Draco was still growling low in his chest, Harry could feel it vibrate against his chest as the cat pressed against him. He sat there stunned as his mate scent marked him.

"Well-" one of the twins started, in a carefully quiet voice.

"That-"

"Answers-"

"That-"

"Question." A chuckling Blaise finished for the twins.

A huff from Draco, who had moved on to licking Harry's neck, was the only response the three got. Harry hardly heard them. He had closed his eyes the second Draco's scent had filled his nose and slowly went limp, he felt lightheaded as he ran his fingers over and through Draco's fur. Truthfully with the peaceful feeling surging through him, he could care less about the three other people in the room.

Somehow, he drifted off to sleep like that. Tucked into a comfortable chair with a leopard in his lap. He wasn't sure how long they slept but he woke to a gentle hand on his shoulder, and Remus' voice broke through his sleep filled brain. "Cub."

"Wha?" He murmured, eyes still closed and already on the edge of going back to sleep.

"You have to get up." He shook his head. He was comfy and didn't want to.

There was a snort from someone not Remus, even that wasn't enough to get him to open his eyes. Draco's annoyed growl however was. He slowly opened his eyes and then jolted upwards, though not far due to Draco still being in his lap, when he noticed Snape standing behind Remus.

"Draco," he said, shoving at his mate. The leopard's head lifted off his thigh and he swear Draco glared at him, Harry gave a toothy grin, "Snape is here." That caught his mate's attention. The cat turned its head back towards Remus and Snape. Draco jumped off Harry's lap to stalked over to his godfather rubbing against the man's legs. To Harry's surprise Snape gave the large cat an affectionate smile and bent down to pet his head. After a second he stood straight and walked out of the room. Draco chasing behind him.

Harry and Remus both laughed when the two Slytherins were out of the room.

"What happened to the others?" Harry asked after noticing the twins and Blaise were gone.

"They came out about an hour ago and said you two fell asleep," Remus said. "What happened?" The wolf asked sitting on the arm of the chair next to him. "They maybe had sounded teasing when they mentioned you two being asleep, but they also kept looking at each other, and I could smell concern on them."

Harry looked up at the man, now was probably the best time to tell him. Though he didn't want to do it alone. "Where is Siri? And the twins are still here?"

"Kitchen," the man replied giving Harry a contemplative look.

"Everyone?" He asked already pushing himself out of the chair and moving towards the door. He heard Remus mutter a "Yes," as he walked out of the room and headed for the kitchen. When he entered he found Sirius and the twins chatting at one end of the table while Charlie and Blaise sat at the other end eating. All five people looked up as he entered.

He waved them off, heading for the counter where a large pot of what smelled like stew sat. He made himself a bowl, looking at Remus to see if he wanted one, the wolf nodded and Harry made a second bowl. He took both to the table placing Remus's down next to his. He wanted the man at his side when he heard the truth, he wanted to be able to comfort him.

When they both say down, he looked at the twins. "Can you fill Remus and Sirius in?" They nodded. Harry only half listened as they went over everything they had learned, he tried to focus on his food, not that he could really taste it.

As the twins talked Draco and Snape came into the kitchen, his mate back in human form, took the empty seat to his right. While the potions master remained standing. While the twins told about the headmaster's attempts to get into Potter Manor, a bowl of stew appeared in front of Draco. The blonde looked over his shoulder at his godfather who raised a single eyebrow in challenge. Harry had to fight back a chuckle when his mate gave in and started picking at his dinner.

When the twins told the room about Dumbledore's denial of custody, Harry rushed under the table and took Remus's hand in his. The wolf looked at him, eyes glowing. "He'll regret it, Moony, I promise."

The man nodded but didn't let go of Harry's hand. With his attention on Remus he almost missed Sirius surging to his feet only to be stopped by a quick spell from Snape.

"Shit," Harry cursed, giving an apologetic look to Remus then pulling his hand free. He pushed his chair back and stood up. Placing himself in front of his godfather. "We have to be smart about this Siri, if you go after him now and fail, he will know that we know and will do everything he can to stop us. I want to destroy him, believe me, but I want to do it slowly and permanently, okay?" Grey eyes locked on his and Harry could see so much fury and sorrow in the man's eyes. His godfather had lost so much and it had been done with the aid of two people he counted as friends. Harry knew the man was fighting himself, knew he wanted to rush out of the room and make Dumbledore pay for everything he had done, and yet, he also wanted to listen to Harry and do it the right way. "We'll get him," Harry said confidently. His godfather let out a breath and slowly stepped back and then dropped into his chair.

Relieved Harry returned to his as well. After a few seconds of awkward silence he looked at the twins, "Might as well keep going."

Hours later Harry was washing dishes. Remus and Charlie both offered to magic them into doing it themselves, but he found he needed something to keep him busy and easy enough to let his mind wander. Doing the dishes seemed like the perfect thing.

In the past he had thought of thousands of ways to get back at the headmaster. For the first time in years, someone other than Voldermort occupied his thoughts and Harry was startled to find he hated the headmaster more. After all, Voldermort hadn't been a coward. He had gone after his parents, gave them a chance to fight back, even offered to spare his mother before he killed them. The man may be evil but at least he doesn't hide behind some fake image of grandfatherly love and goodness. Harry had come back with a plan to return to school, fake his friendship with Ron and Hermione, and lie to the headmaster. He wanted the old man to trust him, so Harry could figure out the why of it all. What did the bastard wanted so much that he ruined people's lives all while acting like their friend? But now? Now he wanted to move against him in every way possible. He wanted the world to see what a fraud the man was. And he was pretty sure the twins had given him a way to do that without him really doing anything.

First thing in the morning he was going to write to Luna and ask her to ask her father to publish an article asking about the lack of trial for Sirius Black. Maybe get her to point out possible misconduct by the Ministry. He wanted to get people thinking about it, maybe even wondering about the real story behind Sirius' stay in Azkaban. He had no doubt about her friendship, as strange as it was, he would just have to make sure she didn't mention him to anyone. He knew she could keep a secret.

He also needed Draco to ask his father, who the best person inside the ministry was to ask about getting Sirius's name cleared. Harry wanted to get started on that as soon as he could. Hopefully with the article and the people asking questions, the ministry would have to do things the right way and then Sirius wouldn't have to run and hide anymore.

Which brought Harry's mind to custody. He was 16, almost an adult in the wizarding world. But he still had almost a year where the headmaster could make things difficult for him-

A throat cleared suddenly behind him. Harry jumped dropping the plate in his hands. Bill was quick to levitate the plate away from the ground and back into Harry's hands.

"Sorry." The oldest Weasley child said.

"It's okay." Harry smiled, "what's up?"

"Well the twins told me they caught you up, and I was wondering if I could get permission to enter Potter Manor. I've been there and examined the wards, they seemed to be tied to you by your familial magic, and I think they will let me through with just your permission."

"You want to know what the headmaster is after?" Harry asked leaning against the counter.

"Yeah," the redhead said. "Whatever it is, it has to be important or valuable. I figure if he wants it that bad, you should have it."

"How will you even know what you're looking for?"

Bill shrugged, "I'm kinda hoping, it's something powerful or obvious. At least something unique that will stand out." Harry thought about it. It might come in handy, whatever it was.

"Take the twins or Remus with you," he said, and Bill grinned. It was hard not to laugh, he got the impression that Bill wanted to explore the Manor for more than what Dumbledore was looking for. After all, one didn't become a curse breaker without the urge and curiosity to explore old, powerful, and forgotten places. He couldn't fault his friend in that, and he knew Bill wouldn't steal anything.

"Wait!" Harry called out when the now excited curse breaker went to leave.

"Yeah?' Bill asked stopping in the doorway.

"Does Gringotts handle any legal paperwork?" He asked.

"You mean besides wills?" Bill replied. W_ills? His parents._ He remembered Fred mentioning them before, but he had forgotten them in with the bombshell that was a marriage contract with Ginny. _Crap_, he would have to ask the twins about them.

"Yeah," he said, turning his attention back to the waiting Weasley.

"Sure, they can do any legal paperwork really. They have access to all contracts and documents, all that a person has to do is fill it out and have it witnessed. Then the goblins send it off to the ministry to be filled. But whatever it is, it's binding and legal the second its signed. Most wizards won't go there because they don't like or trust goblins." There was a shrug of the man's shoulders like he thought that was a stupid reason for not going. Harry had to agree. The ministry could and would try to block anything he did just out of spit, but if it was binding the second he finished it at the bank there would be nothing they could do. That was a useful piece of information.

"Is it possible to get certain papers and fill them out here then take them to the bank to be witnessed and sent off?" He asked already thinking of a couple things he wanted to do.

"Yeah. You want me to pick you up something?" Bill asked.

"Not yet, I have to speak to your brothers, Remy, and Siri first. But can I ask you in a day or two?"

"Sure." Bill gave him a big smile. "I'll probably be at the Manor, so you can just send me an owl with what you need and I'll get it and bring it back as soon as I can."

"Thank you," Harry said, grateful for the man's friendship.

"Anytime," Bill replied before turning and walking away.

Harry turned to look back at the dishes, there was only a couple left and he felt they could wait. He wanted to talk to the twins about his parents' wills. Truthfully, when he finally found them sprawled out on one of the large couches in the second floor living room, he was surprised. He had expected them to have headed home. Instead they seemed to be going over old parchments with Sirius. All three looked far too gleeful and excited for Harry's comfort. He leaned over the couch to see what George was reading and sighed when he noticed an outline for a prank that would change all the house banners at Hogwarts to something else.

Seeing that Fred and Sirius were enthralled with whatever they were looking at he tapped George on the shoulder, "Got a sec?" He asked. His friend nodded and jumped off the couch.

But when he found himself in the hallway, only with George, he couldn't get the words out.

"Fred, he umm…" He took a breath and tried to stop his hands from shaking. _When had they started to shake? _"He…" His throat suddenly felt dry and he had the urge to run and find Draco.

"Your parents' wills?" George said for him. Harry nodded. The redhead reached for his wand and whispered a quiet summoning spell. Two thick folded pieces of parchment floated through the air, hovering before Harry. He reached up and grabbed them.

"Harry, maybe you should ask Sirius or Draco to read them with you," George whispered placing his hand on Harry's shoulder. "You don't want to be alone, mate. Not when you read those." He felt his head bob, agreeing to the prankster's words without really hearing them. His eyes were locked on the words written on the first piece of parchment, James Potter, written in cursive and just a little messy. A bit like Harry's own signature.

He didn't say a word when he turned and walked away. Somehow, he made it to his room without looking away from his father's name. He found the edge of his bed and sat down. He didn't look up when the door opened, nor when two people sat on either side of him. Something about not being alone, made it easier for him to unfold the first will.

Holding his breath, he read his father's will.

_The Last Will and Testament of James Potter. _

_I know this is supposed to be straightforward and all proper, but if this is my last chance to talk to you, then I will do this my way. Harry James Potter, you have been a blessing and no matter what happens son, please know I loved you very much. Now for the will in which I leave you, my son, four properties and both our family vaults. One vault is like all old families, full things of monetary value, but the other is more sentimental, photos, books, old toys, things that may not be worth much to many but might be to you. I know these will not replace me (and heaven forbid your mother, if something happened to us both) but I hope I leave you with a home to build a family with and some things to remember me by. _

_Potter Manor._ _My Grandfather did not like Potter Manor, he said it was too big and too empty. So, he and my grandmother bought Potter Cottage, where my father and I were raised. I asked my father once why he never returned to the Manor and he said the cottage felt like a home, where as the manor felt like a house. I never visited the Manor, though I had plans to. Perhaps you will go see it for the both of us. _

_A house in Hogsmeade. It has __No Title__, as it was bought as a wedding gift to my parents and they never moved in. I tried to convince Moony to take it and the stubborn man didn't talk to me for a month. Maybe he will listen to you. _

_My family home, which I was raised and now the place your mother and I must return to._

_Potter Cottage_ _in Godric's Hollow._

_And finally, the home we bought for ourselves and hope/hoped to raise you in, __Liliana Cottage_ _just outside Tinworth Village. We only got a short while here, never even long enough to invite Sirius or Remus to visit. I had hopes that after the war we would return, but with how things are going, we may never get the chance. _

_I also leave you my cloak, I hope you enjoy it as much as I have. (Your mother isn't too happy about this one, she thinks you shouldn't get it until you are out of school.)_

_For the hardest part, if the worse comes to pass, and should you my son lose not just me but your mother, I name __Sirius Black_ _as your Godfather. If he too should perish, then I name __Remus Lupin, __in his place. You are both great men, and the best friends I could have asked for. Look after my boy. _

_-James Potter. _

The words surprised him and didn't at the same time. He was surprised by the houses and the vaults. But he wasn't surprised by his father naming Sirius his godfather, though to see Remus named as well, threw him. He had known he viewed the man as a second godfather, even had called him as such. He knew Sirius had sworn that James would have wanted Remus to raise him if he couldn't. But to see that it was legal and written down, made it feel different, more official.

He carefully handed the paper to his right, it was hard to give away, even knowing he was going to get it back. His father had left something of himself in the will. His voice, in a way, Harry felt like he could hear the man, in the loving and teasing words written down. He didn't have anything else that gave him that. At least nothing he had found, the information about the second vault gave him hope that him might find more. When fingers gently took the parchment from him, he looked up and noticed Remus looked a little pale. It seemed Harry wasn't the only feeling scared about reading his parents wills. He gave his godfather a smile.

Then he took a breath and turned back to the second. Just as before he was careful as he unfolded it and read it.

_The Last Will and Testament of Lily Evans Potter._

_Harry, _

_I pray you only read this when you are a man. Maybe after you have already started a family of your own and I have gotten to play with my grandchildren. Though I fear that is unlikely. This war has taken so much and too many, I know it will take more still. My only hope is that you are not alone when you read this. Hopefully your father is by your side and if not him then one of those silly idiots he calls his best friends. _

He snorted. Remus and Sirius were going to get a good laugh at that. He smiled. He had been told time and time again about his father's sense of humor, but not one mentioned his mother's.

_I think I will make this simple, as I have not the heart to make it long and drawn out. I, Lily Evans Potter, name__Sirius Black_ _as Harry James Potter's Godfather, and with him I know __Remus Lupin __will be there like always saving his friend from his own stupidity,-_

Harry laughed and had to look away from the parchment for a second, he looked up and noticed both Remus and Sirius giving him questioning looks, Remus had tears in his eyes and Sirius now held Harry's Father's will. He just gave both a tiny smile and went back to reading his Mother's words.

_-and I know James will name Remus as well, but I feel that with this war and all of our roles in it, that I should name another just to be safe, and if James is reading this I pray you understand my choice. If Sirius Black should be unable, I name __Severus Snape __to take his place. _

He froze, then reread the last sentence. He had known that Snape and his mother had been friends when they were younger. Lily had even mentioned him a time or two in the past. But he had seen the fight and cruel words Snape had snapped at her, in the man's memories the year before. He hadn't thought they had become friends again after. _Wow,_ he thought_, how the hell was he going to tell the man about this?_ Giving his head a shake, he went back to reading.

_Whether he is placed with Sirius, Remus, or Severus, he is to have nothing to do with my sister Petunia Dursley. She hates magic and anything associated with our world, I fear for how she would treat him. _

_Harry, I do not know what the future holds. I don't know how you will be raised or by who, and I hope with everything that I am, that your father and I are there, but if not, I know that Sirius and Remus love you almost as much as we do. As for Severus, I wish I had fixed what was broken long ago. He is a good man, though I fear he was and still is a little lost. I have no doubt if asked, he would protect you and care for you. I just hope he can forgive me for the mistakes of a confused and angry young girl. Know this my son, that you are loved. Live well and be happy. _

_-Lily_

_Oh,_ was his first thought when he finished. Too stunned to be angry he passed the will to Remus. He dropped back on his bed, laying on his back. He knew he needed to tell Snape. It would be cruel not to. And he would have to show him the will, so the man could see him mother's words. Maybe it would give the man a bit of closure over the loss. He closed his eyes, he thought over the bit about his aunt. He was never supposed to go there. His mother knew it would be horrible and had done everything she could to keep him away. And yet the headmaster had insisted he go there. Not just when he was a baby, but every summer since he was 11. Logically he knew it was because it kept him secluded from the Wizarding World and any potential allies or knowledge that would turn him against the old man. But he still had a hard time wrapping his mind around the fact that Dumbledore had known how he was being treated and put him back there time and time again, all for some greedy desire to have Harry look up to and need him. All for some purpose Harry had yet to figure out. It was all so bloody maddening.

"You okay pup?" Sirius asked and Harry had to open his eyes because it sounded like his Godfather was crying; which he was. Harry pushed up and wrapped the man in a hug, giggling a little when Remus joined in. The three of them stayed like that for a while, long past the time acceptable for a hug, and when they broke apart Harry was feeling a little better. It seemed that George was right about not wanting to be alone, speaking off.

"Who told you guys?" He asked.

"Twins," his Godfathers said together. He smiled, he would have to remember to thank them.

"Are you going to tell Severus?" It was Remus that asked. Harry sighed and nodded. "Not yet though." It just another thing he needed to speak the man about. He hadn't forgotten his promise to Draco about talking to Sirius about the marriage of the blonde's parents, but he felt the need to talk to Severus and maybe even the Malfoy patriarch before doing so. He wanted to make sure it was something everyone wanted before he did anything. He hadn't gotten the chance yet and honestly he was a little nervous about bringing up it up to the man. He sighed again.

"I just need a little time," he told his Godfathers.

"Cub, Why don't you lie down. It's getting late and it's been a long day." Harry had to agree, he felt exhausted.

After another round of hugs the two men left and Harry quickly changed into a pair of Draco's sleep pants and crawled into bed. It wasn't very long before he heard his mate enter the room and after a couple of minutes the blonde crawled into bed pulled Harry close and held him. The normally snarking Slytherin didn't say a word when he broke and started crying. Just tightened his grip and held him until he cried himself to sleep.


	38. Chapter 38

_**Harry POV**_

The next week was peaceful. Blaise returned to Hogwarts and the Weasley's returned to their homes. His godfather's and Draco had given him space after his reading of the wills. He used that time to do some reading and having Bill retrieve the correct documents for him. It was easy to get Remus to sign the acceptance of custody paperwork though the wolf spent an hour reassuring Sirius it was temporary until he was cleared in which the animagus told him he was an idiot they were sharing custody. Harry had spent the entire hour in Draco's lap laughing at the two men.

He also talked to Remus and Siri about the Potter seats in the Wizengamot. That was a longer conversation, that the custody. In the end it was agreed that Remus would sit in Harry's seat for as long as Harry wanted. Sirius would be too busy with his own seats once he was free.

Bill and the twins were still searching through the Manor. So far, Bill was in heaven because of some of the ancient Potter and Peverell family heirlooms. Harry hadn't known who the Peverell's were until Bill and Remus gave an excited lecture about 3 brothers and the legends surrounding them. While Harry and Sirius agreed the part about meeting and beating death seemed far fetched they agreed that with a family that old and powerful it was probable that whatever Dumbledore was looking for was something handed down from that part of Harry's family. That suspicion helped to narrow down the Weasely's search.

What he hadn't told his godfathers about was the letter from Lucius telling him to contact one Amelia Bones head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Which he had, he sent her a lengthy letter, in which Draco had spelled to only open when she agreed to keep everything, including his involvement, secret until everything was set up. He wrote her about Sirius lack of trial and the confrontation with Peter Pettigrew in his third year. He even found a way to send her copies of his memories from that night and the night of Voldermort's return. Showing her how Pettigrew had helped resurrect the Dark Lord. Proof that the man was a Death Eater and a traitor.

Miss Bones replied two days later, apologizing at length for the lack of trial and for her own failure to notice said lack of trail. She asked if he knew how to get hold of Sirius and if the man would be willing to come in for a retrial.

Harry replied earlier this morning. He hadn't bothered to ask Sirius. He would drag the man into the Ministry himself if he had too. Though he requested that maybe she start the inquiry about the lack of trail without bringing up a retrial just yet. He mentioned an article that would be released the next morning that she could use as a reason why. He knew the article was coming out the next morning because Luna and already sent him an advanced copy, with a note that she was happy that he was okay and couldn't wait to for him and Draco to return to school.

Outside of all that businesses stuff Harry was happy. He got to spend almost nonstop time with his mate. Learning more about both Draco, his family, his inheritance, and their connection. He also got to hang out with Remus and Sirius. Getting to spend time with his two godfathers without any Order members constantly interrupting them or Dumbledore trying to keep them apart was amazing. He learned more about how Remus fit into the marauders. While the man was quiet and was obviously the moral centerpoint of the group, he also had the same knack for causing mischief and pulling pranks as his two best friends.

There was also the small fact that having the two marauders and the twins in the same place for any real amount of time was the perfect grounds for a prank war. Harry and Draco had managed to avoid it for the most part, often by redirecting the trouble makers at each other.

For the first time in his life he had a _home._ He'd always imagined Hogwarts as a home, but it was nothing compared to this. Here he felt happy, content, and safe. He woke each morning excited to spend time with the others. A large part of him didn't want to go back to school, he would rather stay here and spend time with his family. The thought of going back and having to pretend and fake his loyalty and friendships made him nauseous. He didn't want to go back and be pulled into the headmasters game. He didn't want to deal with his fake ex friends, or have to worry about Voldermort trying to kill him. He just wanted to stay here and be a normal magical teenager.

Draco had been understanding when Harry mentioned all this in the dead of night. They had been laying in bed Harry's head on Draco's chest, his mate pulled him tight and whispered, "We won't be playing the headmaster's game, the old coot will be playing ours. We are going to make him pay for everything he has done to you Harry," There had been a gentle kiss on his forehead,"I promise."

"As for the backstabbing traitors you will only have to pretend to be their friend long enough to end it. Me and Blaise are much better for you." Harry chuckled. "As for the Dark Lord, I'll be by your side." The words were meant as an encouragement but Harry's stomach dropped. The thought of having Draco dying at his side scared the hell out of him. He couldn't admit that to the proud blonde because Draco would just tell him off for being stupid and try to reassure him that everything would be okay.

He had horrible nightmares that night of Voldermort killing Draco, he woke the next morning already planning ways to keep his mate as far away from the final battle. He couldn't, wouldn't lost Draco. So far, his best plan was Lucius Malfoy. While Harry had no real love for the man, he knew Draco's father loved his son and would do anything to protect him. He just hoped that meant Lucius would be willing to force his son away from his mate and the fight if the need ever came.

"Harry?"

Harry looked away from the book he hadn't been reading to see Remus standing next to him.

"Yeah?" He asked, wondering how long the man had been standing there watching him while he had been lost in thought.

"It's time," Remus said looking a little pale.

Harry swallowed and closed his book.

He followed the werewolf out of the room and into a small potions lab towards the back of the cottage. The small room was full, Bill and Snape stood over a boiling cauldron talking in hushed voices. Charlie and the twins seemed to be comforting Sirius who looked extremely worried. Draco stood leaning against the far wall watching them all. Harry moved towards the blonde, standing close to him.

"Where's the auror?" He whispered.

"Father's getting him," Draco whispered back not looking at him. Harry could tell his normally pale mate was even more pale. He understood. What they were about to do was wrong, but necessary.

Darryl Owen was an auror that in recent years had made his hatred for Death Eaters very clear. He advocated for any and all Death Eaters to receive the dementor's kiss without going to Azkaban. He even tried to insist any wizards that were allegedly Death Eaters being kissed, starting that it was better to stop them now before they could do any harm. He even tried pushing laws against Dark Wizards. In the words of his mate, the man was a menace.

What made Owen perfect for Remus and Draco's plan was the man's clear hatred for The Boy Who Lived as well as Dark Wizards. Harry had shivered when he read the man's interview from last year. He blamed Harry for not killing the Dark Lord correctly when he was supposed to, and even stated he was only back because Harry had failed again at stopping him. He was the ideal, as someone who would want to kidnap both Harry and Draco.

Although it left Harry feeling guilty, the man would be punished for a crime he didn't commit, Sirius had told him that the man had gotten away with horrible things, beating and curses against dark wizards. All because he was an auror and said they were Death Eaters resisting arrest. It had been Remus that finally convinced Harry to go through with it. The werewolf had pulled him aside and showed him an article in the Prophet where Owen had insisted Sirius be killed on sight if found. That the 'murderer' was better off dead than sent back to Azkaban.

Sure it didn't relieve all Harry's guilt but it helped.

"You will both have to take a full bottle of this," Snape said, tearing Harry from his thoughts. The dark haired man handed him and Draco one small potion bottle each. Harry knew what they were. It was the reason most of the room looked pale. The potion was a reverse to the nutrient potion, custom made by Snape and Bill.

It wouldn't kill him or Draco but it would help make it look like they had been held prisoners for over two months. It had taken Bill and Snape a week to brew and Harry wasn't looking forward to drinking it.

He eyed the bottle and then looked at Draco. His mate gave him a reassuring smile and pressed the bottle to his lips, drinking it all in one go.

Harry winced when Draco coughed and doubled over, holding his stomach. Harry almost dropped his own bottle when he reached forward to help him. It only took a second for Draco to stop coughing and straighten back up.

Harry flinched from the sight. Draco's face looked sunken and his eyes seemed dull. Stepping back so he could see Draco in full, he noticed how much thinner his mate looked. His once perfect fitting clothes now hung loose. The proud blonde's hand shook and Harry reached and grabbed one. Giving it a squeeze before he drank his own potions.

It burned, which he thought distantly would explain the coughing. Then a sharp pain radiated through his stomach and Harry gasped and wrapped his arms around his stomach, willing it to stop. When it was over he felt light headed and shaky.

He opened his eyes to see Snape helping Draco to a small loveseat, that hadn't been there before. He pushed off the wall, he hadn't realized he was leaning against, to move towards them. But his legs wobbled and if Sirius hadn't appeared at his side catching him. He would have fell.

"I'm tired," he muttered leaning against his godfather.

"I know pup." He heard. His eyes were drifting closed and the last thing he was aware of was Draco's warmth and scent, when he was placed on the love seat next to his mate.

_Sirius Pov_

"They'll be okay, Black." Sirius looked over at Severus who despite his words was running his hands through his own godson's hair. He wanted to snap and yell at the bloody Slytherin but he didn't. Not when he saw his own worry mirrored on the other man's face.

"We got them," one of the twins said, walking up behind them. Sirius swear Severus almost growled at the young redhead before he stepped back. He understood the urge when the other twin moved beside him and looked down at Harry.

"You have to go met Mister Malfoy," Charlie said moving to stand by his younger brother. "Once you have Owen in place, we will bring them."

He nodded and patted the dragon tamer on the shoulder. He turned towards the door to the room to see Severus already walking out of it, Remus was standing there waiting for him.

"It will be alright," Remus whispered as they left the room, Siruis looked back over his shoulder one last time. Harry and Draco were both passed out on the small loveseat, the twins sitting on the arms watching over them. Which Charlie transfigured their clothes to looked dirty and torn. He sighed and turned away. He trusted the three Weasleys to look after his pup. He just wished he could be the one staying behind to keep an eye on them.

But no. His job was to meet with Lucius Malfoy and help set up a cabin that Owen owned. Sirius was responsible for making it look like the two boys had been held there for the two months they were missing. Malfoy's job, one that Sirius didn't envy, was going to charm and change Owen's memories. Making the man himself believe the lie.

When it was done, they would send a message to the twins and Charlie, who would apparate Harry and Draco in. While this was going on Remus and Bill had to head back to Grimmauld Place. They would conveniently be there when the call came in that Harry and Draco had been found. They wanted people they trusted as part of the rescue. And Severus had to return to Hogwarts so that Dumbledore didn't get suspicious.

When he apparated to the location Severus had given him. He found Lucius Malfoy already there, wand pointed at the dark brunette kneeling at his feet. Sirius took a deep breath and walked towards them. The elder Malfoy looked up when he heard him, saw who it was and returned to whatever he was doing to Owen. Not thinking he could stomach watching the two men, he walked past them and into the cabin. The place had a thick layer of dust that Sirius charmed away, and broken furniture scattered around the living room. It seemed Owen hadn't been there in a long time. Sirius sighed and started repairing everything he could. Anything he couldn't he vanished. When the room was reasonable, he moved on to one of the two bedrooms.

It made his skin crawl to transfigure a piece of rope into metal shackles. He bound them to the wall leaving two sets of cuffs hanging a few inches off the ground. He then summoned a few thin blankets and scattered them along the floor around where the restraints hung. He added a couple discarded plates and moldy food. When he was done he wanted to throw up. The room looked old, dirty, and smelled sour. The blankets on the floor were not much better and with the moldy food a few feet away from where the boys would be found, it painted a pretty dark picture.

He heard footsteps behind him and turned wand raised, only to find the elder Malfoy ignoring his wand and looking over the room. It must have met his satisfaction because he gave Sirius a nod and walked away. Lowering his wand Sirius followed after him.

"I have summoned food for three for several days, and gave him a few distant defensive marks." The blonde said when Sirius entered the living room behind him. The dark wizard was standing behind Owen who was passed out on an old battered couch.

"Can you give them marks that look like they are from the metal cuffs?" He asked instead of telling the man he was impressed. He hadn't thought about making it look like the two boys had fought back. It was smart, neither Harry nor Draco were the type to sit back and let someone hurt them.

"I can." Malfoy said. With that said and the cabin done. Sirius sent off his patronus, letting the three Weasleys know they were ready. A few seconds later three pops could be heard outside the house. Sirius followed Malfoy out of the house.

He heard the man gasp at the sight of his son.

"It's the potion," he told the man. Not wanting him to think that him and Remus had done this to his child. He saw Malfoy nod before he took his son from Charlie's arms and headed back into the house. Sirius walked towards the twins who held Harry between them and did the same. He carried his godson into the house, passed the vile man on the couch, and into the bedroom.

Malfoy was already kneeling on the floor whispering to his somewhat conscious son. The younger Malfoy looked a little out of it but seemed to understand his father because he held up his wrists and mumbed a few words back to him.

Sirius couldn't watch the man chain his son. So he looked away and sat Harry down just a foot or so away. Part of him was grateful the young man remained asleep unlike his friend. He didn't think he could stomach putting chains on Harry while he was awake and aware of what was happening. As carefully as he could, he took the shackles and cuffed them over his godson's thin wrists. Then watched in awe as both boys, both asleep again, unconsciously moved towards each other.

He looked up towards Malfoy and saw the man looked resigned. A throat cleared from the door away causing both him and the blonde to look towards Charlie, who at least looked sorry about interrupting them.

"We should get going. Owen's partner should be checking up on him soon. And we don't want to be here when he does." Sirius nodded, but before he stood up and leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss on Harry's forehead. Then he pushed to his feet and left the room as fast as he could so he didn't risk changing his mind.

He was grateful when they apparated back to the cottage and Fred and George grabbed his arms and dragged him towards the small bar in the main living room. One of the twins, George he was almost positive, poured him a glass of firewhiskey. He thanked them and downed it.

When the redhead poured him another he chuckled lightly and looked around the room. Charlie was sitting on the couch running his hands through his hair, looking nervous. The twins had joined him in his drinking. He knew Bill and Remus were at Grimmauld Place. Snape was at Hogwarts and Lucius Malfoy had returned home. Everyone was in place and all that was left was to wait until they got the call that Harry and Draco had been found.


	39. Chapter 39

_**Harry's Pov**_

The next time Harry woke up, he was in a very familiar place. The bright white of the floors and curtains around him made him wince just as much as the shouting he could hear just on the other side of said white curtain did.

"You can not just wake them up!" Madam Pomfrey scolded whoever she was talking to.

"I'm afraid we must." Harry had to bite down a groan at the headmasters voice.

"Madam, we need to know what happened to Harry Potter!" A voice that surely belonged to the Minister Rufus Scrimgeour. Harry had only met the man once, after the fight at the Ministry. He wasn't looking forward to another talk with the man. He spoke to Harry like he was an idiot child that didn't understand what was going on. It was infuriating.

"That boy has been missing for two months, and we find him chained to wall with the son of dark wizard." Scrimgeour said sounding disgusted.

"Let's not forget that it was an auror who was holding them." Snape's condescending tone made Harry grin.

"He will be dealt with," the Minister snapped, "but we must be able to question Harry." Harry rolled his eyes. Why wasn't anyone talking about questioning Draco? They have been chained up together, surely one of them was smart enough not to assume Draco was in on it? Harry had to stop himself for snorting, because well, Draco was in on it, just not the way these idiots assumed.

"You may speak to him once he is awake and ready," Madam Pomfrey told him.

"Now, now Poppy, surely you can see the importance of us speaking to Harry as soon as possible." Dumbledore tried to get her to change her mind. Harry wanted to cringe at the man's tone. _How often had he bought that loving, caring, old man routine?_

"Albus," the medwitch said with a sigh. "I really think he needs rest. Surely you can wait a few hours."

"Really don't think it matters," a frustrated Draco chastised them. "If your arguing woke me. It mostly likely woke him as well." Harry snorted. Which caused one of the adults to pull back his curtain. The four of them looked surprised to see him awake. Though only Snape and Promfrey seemed to look over him with concern.

While Promfrey started waving her wand over him whispering all matter of spells, Snape wandered over to another curtain and pushed it back. Draco was sitting up in his bed, glaring at all of the adults in the room. The glare mixed with his disheveled hair caused Harry to laugh. Which had the blonde turning his pissed off glare towards him. Not that it stopped Harry from laughing.

"Harry, my boy." His laughter died, "how are you feeling?" He turned his head towards the headmaster, careful not to meet the man's eye. Snape had warned them about the headmasters ability to read minds.

"Tired," he replied trying to force himself to relax. He needed the headmaster to believe he felt comfortable around him. But it was hard to get his body to listen to his mind, almost every part of him wanted to scoot back, put more space between him and the man he'd thought was his friend and ally since he was 11.

He saw the old man nodding, "understandable, my boy, you have been through quite an ordeal." A snort from Draco had the headmaster turning his gaze away from Harry. It was only for a second but it was enough for Harry to get his body under control. His shoulders lost some of their tension and he was able to lean back against the pillow. He wanted to send a grateful 'thank you' look to his mate but the Minster and Promfrey were still watching him.

"What happened?" He asked the medwitch before the headmaster could turn back and start questioning him.

"You don't remember?" She asked looking concerned.

"I remember, being in some man's cabin. He kept yelling at me and Draco about how it was our fault that people were dying. He kept saying I had failed to stop Voldermort." He took a small bit of pleasure at the Minister's shudder. "And he told Draco that he was just as guilty because his father was a suspected Death Eater. It didn't make any sense." Harry made sure to make his voice break, "It wasn't my fault and Draco isn't responsible for what the Death Eaters do. He isn't one." He lowered his eyes and tried not to grin when Promfrey started to fuss over him again.

"How did you get there?" The minster asked.

"I don't know. I remember walking in one of the hallways on the second floor, then nothing. When I woke up, I was chained to that wall, " He made a show of rubbing his wrist, "Draco was knocked out next to me."

"He took you from inside the school!" The Minster shouted. "Dumblerdore, you told us that was impossible. How the hell did someone get in and kidnap not only Harry Potter but another student as well!" Harry wanted to growl at the man. _Another student? Really?_ Draco was sitting right there and the man couldn't be bothered with his name.

"That _other_ student," a cold angry voice said from the doorway, "happens to be my son, Minister, and I hope you are giving his kidnapping and imprisonment as much attention as the Boy Who Lived." Lucius Malfoy, was dressed impeccably, black slacks, a grey button up shirt under a long black coat, but it was the sneer he gave both the headmaster and Minster was truly impressive.

Malfoy then walked passed them towards his son. Only a second after Remus came rushing into the room. He didn't pay any attention to any of the others just rushed to Harry side and hugged him.

"Remy," Harry said wrapping his arms around his godfather.

"Alright," Promfrey said, "Minister, Headmaster, you have spoken to Harry. But I think right now him and Mister Malfoy need time with their family and rest. I must insist you two leave." Harry turned his head away from Remus to see the headmaster's face. He could see it, in the twitch of his eye and small frown, the man was not happy about being told to leave. But he gave the mediwitch a smile anyway.

"Well, it seems we have to go. But I leave you in the capable hands of Mister Lupin. Don't worry Harry, the man who took you has been arrested you're safe now." The man moved towards the door. Then with a dramatic pause he turned and gave Harry a huge smile, "Welcome back to Horgwats Harry." Then he was gone, the Minster following behind him.

Harry was grateful for Remus arms around him because while the headmaster had said it in a happy tone, the words felt more like a threat and it had caused him to shake.

"I will leave you men alone. But I asked to let them rest soon." Promfrey said before she disappeared into her office.

There seemed to be a collective sigh in the room once she was gone.

"That was fun," Draco muttered. Harry laughed while the adults all gave the younger blond the same look. Harry read it as _behave_. He chuckled when Draco noticed Remus giving him the same look as his father and godfather.

Draco frowned at the wolf and then looked at Harry, "That's just not fair." The Slytherin then sighed dropping back against his pillow. The dramatic display got a chuckle out of everyone.

"Mister Malfoy," Harry asked, a little nervous. He hadn't spoken to the man since they had come back, not outside of the letter he received about Miss Bones, and their conversations in the past were focused on him and Draco getting home. He wasn't sure how to deal with the adult version. The man looked at him with a raised brow, it reminded him of Draco.

"Can we move our beds?" Harry asked, hoping he wasn't blushing. He was embarrassed enough he almost hadn't asked. But there was a part of him that needed to be closer to Draco. He didn't think it was because he had gotten used to sleeping next to his mate, more that his creature didn't feel safe inside the school and wanted Draco as close as possible. Draco's father seemed to understand the request because he pulled out his wand and carefully moved Draco's bed next to Harry's.

He instantly reached his hand across the empty space of their beds and took Draco's hand. The comfort that came from that small touch had him closing his eyes and relaxing into the bed. He knew he would have to let go soon. They couldn't let anyone know they were together or that they were mates, at least not yet. But while it was just them they could hold hands.

Harry let himself drift off. The others seemed to be aware of what was happening because they started to whisper and soon Draco's voice faded out of the conversation. He assumed rightfully that the blonde was falling asleep too.

Some time later the sound of a door hitting a wall startled him awake, and from the jerk of their hands, Draco as well.

"What the hell?" Draco grumbled as they both looked towards the hospital wings doors.

"Harry!" Ron's voice screeched as the tall redhead quickly moved toward him. Hermione and Ginny behind him.

"Oh my, Harry!" Hermiione said rushing to grab his hand. "We were so worried." Harry had to admit she was good, she even had tears in her eyes.

"Why the hell are you so close to Malfoy?" Ron ranted, "Dirty ferret was probably in on it." It took so much willpower not to flinch at the words or snap at the redhead.

"Leave it Ron," he said. "He was a prisoner just as much as I was." His supposed friends all gave him a surprised look.

"Harry," Ginny asked quietly, "You're not friends with him now are you?" She looked a little green at the idea. Harry wanted to roll his eyes.

"Ginny, we were alone together for two months. Held prisoner by a nut job. We had to get over our rivalry, or we would have gone insane," he said gently trying to get the point across. Though he wondered what the point was, these three didn't care.

"But his a slytherin!" Ron shouted. This time Harry did flinch, from the volume, not the words. _Had Ron always been so bloody loud? _

"So?" Draco said with a sneer. Harry was surprised it had taken the blonde that long to speak up. He was even more surprised by the three adults sitting across the room just watching them.

"Sooo," Ron drew out the word, "we don't want a filthy slytherin as a friend." The boy crossed his arms over his chest and glared at Draco. Harry shot Remus a pleading look. His godfather went to stand but Snape's hand caught his arm and held him down. Harry shot the man a look. Not happy about him not letting Remus rescue him.

"Tell him Harry," Ron said, pulling Harry's attention back to him.

"Tell him what, Ron?" He asked looking at his _friend_ in the eye.

"That we don't want him as a friend." Ron said looking bewildered that Harry hadn't just agreed with him.

"Ron, he is my friend," Harry said. He had to fight against smiling at the appalled look on Ron and Hermione faces. Ginny looked more confused than offended, he figured it would come when she saw he meant it.

"Harry," Hermione said gently, "you have just been through some traumatic, maybe it's best that you take some time and think about things before doing anything drastic."

He raised an eyebrow at her. "How is being friends with Draco drastic?" He asked, and cringed when Ron shouted, "Draco?!."

"Harry, mate, you called him Draco?!" Ron's face was as red as his hair as he screamed at Harry.

Harry sighed, "_He. Is. My. Friend._" He said slowly, "Of course I call him Draco."

Hermione and Ron exchanged looks. Harry could tell they were trying to figure out what to do. He would bet the headmaster hadn't ever planned on him and Draco being friends and it seemed his two little pawns where thrown.

"Okay, Harry," Hermione said. "We understand." Ron scoffed but didn't argue with her.

"Well now that that is settled, perhaps you three would like to return to your dorm rooms?" Snape said surprising the hell out of the three students standing at Harry's side.

Harry saw Ron's mouth open, probably to say something stupid but Hermione elbowed him.

"Yes Sir," she said grabbing the two others and dragging them out of the door.

"Weasel is bloody loud," Draco complained. Harry looked over at him and grinned, "I don't know how I never noticed that before."

"You two need to go back to bed. Poppy said you should be able to go back to class tomorrow. She has forced enough potions down your throats that your bodies are healthy again. Though you might have some side effects from all the potions, weakness, dizziness, and shaking, make sure to come to _me_ and not her if you do. Remus and I have convinced her that you can speak to us about what you went through, if you need someone to talk to. However I'm sure the headmaster's insisting and insurances are what really pushed her to agree," Snape said.

"Does that mean you're staying here?" He asked his godfather. The wolf smiled, "Yep. Lucius as well. At least for a few days. There is no way the headmaster could demand we leave, not after what you two have been through."

"Thank Merlin." Draco sighed, before adding "Wake us up before anyone comes in?" Harry saw the elder Malfoy nod. Then Draco reached across the bed and pulled Harry towards him.

"If this is the last night, I can sleep next to you, for a while, I want you close," his mate muttered and Harry turned his head enough to press a kiss on the blonde's cheek. He wasn't sure why he did it, other than he wanted too. Draco let out a short breath clearly surprised and then before Harry could turn away, a hand was on his chin, holding his head in place. They locked eyes staring at each other for a moment.

When Draco leaned in and pressed his lips against Harry's. Harry's heart skipped and he couldn't stop the pleased sound that came out. At first it was short and unsure, like they were testing if this was okay. Then Harry pressed firmly needing more. He heard Draco moan and the blond shifted his body so that he was half on top of Harry, pressing against him.

A chuckle and a cough broke them apart. Harry felt his face burn and buried it in Draco's chest. The blonde on top of him growled and Harry had to pull back to look at his mate. Draco's eyes had shifted to his cat and he was glaring at his father, godfather, and Remus.

"Draco," he said gently, pulling his mate's attention back to him. "Its okay. We," he blushed again, "we were getting a bit carried away." Draco closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Then with his eyes closed, he leaned in towards Harry's throat and inhaled his scent. After a second the blonde pulled away and dropped down on the bed next to him, face first.

"Sorry," he muttered into his blankets.

"It's understandable," Lucius said, "just be more careful from now on."

"Yes, father," Harry's mate said and he was sure the blonde was only hiding his face in the bed because he was as embarrassed as Harry was. Rolling on to his side, Harry threw his arm over the blonde and pulled at him until Draco rolled onto his back. Harry moved to lay his head on his mate's chest, getting as comfortable as he could. Ignoring the adults in the room, he closed his eyes, letting Draco's heartbeat comfort him. It didn't take long for him to drift back to sleep.


	40. Chapter 40

_Harry's POV_

Early the next morning, Snape woke them up just before Madam Pomfrey came in to check them over one last time, before sending them off to the Great Hall for breakfast.

Draco had grumbled as his godfather shoved a pile of clothes at him and told him to get dressed. Harry had chuckled, watching the two of them, then of course Remus came in and did the same to him.

Though all his amusement faded as him and Draco stood dressed, wands and school bags in hand at the Hospital entrance looking at each other. Neither were happy as it was time for them to go their separate ways. Every instinct in Harry screamed at him to stay close to his mate.

He looked around the room, seeing that they were alone he grabbed Draco and pressed a quick kiss against his mate's lips. Draco moaned and Harry was pushed backwards a few steps until he hit a wall. His heart raced as Draco pressed closer, warmth pooled in Harry's stomach and he wrapped his arms around his mate's waist. There was a low chuckle from Draco before the blonde pulled away.

"As badly as I want to keep kissing you," the blonde leaned forward and laid a quick kiss in Harry's lips, but pulled away before Harry could return it, "we need to go." Harry groaned and dropped his head.

"I don't want to," he muttered.

"I know," Draco said gently.

Footsteps coming towards them had them moving further apart.

"What are you two still doing here?" Madam Pomfrey asked when she saw them.

"Nothing," they said together, both turning towards the door and walking out. Harry's stomach flopped when Draco headed down a separate hallway. He hesitated as he watched Draco walked away. Then with a deep breath he forced himself to continue towards the Great Hall.

Whatever way Draco went Harry wanted to hex his mate, because it seemed Harry entered the large room first. It fell silent when he walked in and he could feel every person in the room eyes on him. Included the Professor at the staff table. Professor Mcgonagall and Sprout gave him a welcomed smile, while Snape barely looked away from his plate. The headmaster face smiled but it made Harry felt cold. He quickly made his way over the Gryffindor table. Ron and Hermione scooted apart making room for him on the bench between them. He gritted his teeth and sat down.

He barely reached for his plate before his friends started talking.

"Harry, can you tell us what happened?" Hermione asked leaning into whisper in his ear.

"Yeah mate,'' Ron said shoving eggs into his mouth. "Tell us about it?"

Harry looked down at his plate trying to rein in his anger. _Did they really think that he wanted to talk about it?_ If he had really been kidnapped and possibly tortured for two months, why the hell would he want to talk about it with his friends. Especially right after being rescued..

"I don't want to talk about it," he mumbled. Hoping the frown and dropped gazed would hint that he didn't want to talk about it.

"Oh it's okay, Harry," Hermione said condescendingly. "Talking about it will help. It would be good for you to get it out." Harry slide his eyes over at her, trying not to glare at the way she was speaking to him. She had done it before, but he never really noticed how superior she sounded when she spoke to him. He looked to his right, Ron didn't seem to care, he was just nodding his head to whatever she said while eating everything in sight. Harry sighed.

"I don't want to talk about it," he said more firmly. Poking at his food, not feeling hungry anymore. He heard Hermione let out a frustrated breath.

"Hey Harry," a quiet voice said from behind him. Harry turned his head to see Luna. He gave her a smile, he pushed his plate away and got up to give the younger girl a hug, "Hey Luna."

He put his hand on her back and tried to lead the Ravenclaw away from the Gryffindor table, but it seemed Ron and Hermione weren't going to let him. Both his ex friends got up and followed behind him.

"Luna," Hermione said grabbing the other girl's arm. "I saw the article your father wrote about Sirius Black." Harry stopped, Luna easily stopping with him. "While I'm sure Sirius is grateful it doesn't seem wise to draw more attention to him. The man his in hiding and now he is going to be on people's minds. It will make it harder for him to remain unseen." _It was nice to know she used the same _'I know better,' _tone with everyone._ Harry thought.

But out loud he said, "What article?" He saw Ron and Hermione look at each other. There was a flash of worry in the bushy brunette's eyes before she turned to him.

"The Quibbler released an article about a week ago, talking about Sirius." Hermione shot Luna a displeased look. "It accused the Ministry of mishandle his case." She tisked, "While it was a lovely article, all it accomplished was antagonizing the Ministry." Harry felt bad for the way she was talking about Luna, trying to make the younger girl feel bad about the article.

"Did they?" He asked raising his brow at Hermione. She gave him a confused look.

"Did they mishandle Siri's case?" He asked looking her in the eyes.

Hermione stopped and actually seemed to think about her responds. "That's not the point," she finally settled on. "The article put Sirius back in the forefront of everyone's minds. He is going to be in ever more danger now."

He knew what she was doing. And it pissed him off. She was trying to distract him by telling him that Sirius was in trouble. Make him forget about what the article said and focus on the harm it could do to his godfather. He wanted to snap at her, scream at her for being a horrible person instead he turned to Luna.

"It's okay. I bet Sirius loves that someone is looking out for him. He never minded a bit of trouble anyways." Hermione huffed but Luna gave him a blinding smile.

"Now," he turned to look at his housemates. "I need to go to the dorm and then I'll meet you in potions,'' he told Hermione." Looking back at the Ravenclaw, "can we catch up later?"

"Of course Harry." With that he hurried away from the other three.

Once he made it into the common room, he had to stop and look around. How different the large room felt now. Not just different from his time in the past but different from his first five years here. This room had been his safe haven for so long but this time instead of walking in and feeling welcomed he felt his skin crawled. He bit his lip to stop from tearing up at the monumental loss. Dumbledore, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny had ruined this too.

Not wanting to dwell on it, he quickly rushed up the stairs and into the 6th year dorm room. Thankfully it was empty. He went over to his bed and found everything was back to where it had been before his and Draco's unexpected trip. He wondered if everyone had just left his stuff there or if the headmaster only returned it the night before. He shrugged and pulled a shrunken trunk out of his robe pocket.

Sirius had been the one to buy and pack it but Remus had handed it to him last night before he left the hospital wing. He told Harry they didn't trust the headmaster not to have spelled or warded Harry's belongings that had been left behind so they bought him new ones. All he had to do was switch out the trunks and give the old one to Remus when he saw him. The werewolf had promised to go over the map and cloak as soon as possible and get them back to Harry.

Harry quickly threw everything laying around his bed into his old trunk, shrinking it, he put it in his pocket and placed his new one in its place. Then he opened the new trunk to find his potions textbook and rushed out of the dorms and towards the dungeons. He didn't want to be late on his first day back.

While he wasn't late he was the last one in. And he almost let out a relieved laugh when he saw Dean sitting next to Hermione. The other Gryffindor went to get up when he saw Harry rush into the room, but Harry quickly shook his head and moved next to Blaise who had the only empty spot next to him.

"Hey," the Slytherian whispered.

"Hey," he replied with a smile.

As Snape announced the potion the class would be making, and ordered them to get to work, Harry could feel the class' eyes on him.

"Your housemates are staring at us," Blaise stated as the Slytherin started up the fire below their cauldron. Harry shrugged, not really caring. "They'll get over it." The other boy snorted.

Harry walked to the supply cabinet at the front of the classroom, gathering everything they would need for their potion and rushed back to their table. He was hoping to avoid anyone that might want to talk or lecture him. Even so he had to act like he couldn't hear Ron's angered hiss as the redhead tried to get his attention.

Turned out Blaise was easy to work with. The taller Slytherin was good at potions but not a perfectionist like Draco or Severus. Which helped when Harry made his only mistake. Instead of getting annoyed or frustrated Blaise pointed out how to fix it and went back to what he was doing it. It was a nice change and Harry decided he would rather partner up with Blaise from now on instead of having to deal with Hermione or Dean, who were the only two _friends _he had in potions this year.

He felt a little bad after him and Blaise turned in their potion, Dean called out to him but Harry rushed out of the classroom and hid in a dark corner until he heard the hallway was empty. It was just he didn't know where Dean's loyalties stood. Was he really Harry's friend or was he just anyone person pretending? He knew he shouldn't just lump Dean in with the others but it felt easier than chancing it and finding out he was wrong.

He sighed and peeked around the corner. Seeing it was empty he quickly made his way to Defense.

_Lucius POV_

He was resting, not hiding, in his guest quarters when someone knocked on the door. He groaned. There were only two maybe three people that would seek him out, Draco was in class and no doubt the werewolf was in his own rooms, that left Severus.

"Come in," he called out, standing to pour the other man a drink.

"You should have told me," Sev scolded as he stormed into the room. His old friend stopped and stood in front of him. Lucius could tell Severus was fuming and he didn't need to ask what the brewer was talking about.

"Would you have believed me?" He asked looking up at his mate.

Sev's mouth opened and then slammed shut. The other man took a deep breath, "I do not know. But at least I would have understood."

Luc sighed, "Sev," he stood up and reached out to touch his mate's cheek, the other man didn't hesitate to close his eyes and lean into his hand. "I had to magic away my memories so I wasn't tempted to change anything. How could I have told you and expected you to not have the same temptation." A large part of him sung in pleasure when his mate leaned into his touch. They rarely allowed themselves theses small touches. It was too painful, knowing they belonged together but couldn't be. The welcoming pleasant touches only reminded them of that. So they resisted, at least they did until instinct and desire override their less primal driven minds.

"And what do we do now?" Sev whispered.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

Severus scoffed opening his eyes to glare at him. "You son is the mate of the boy-who-lived, whom our Lord wants dead. I know you, Luc, you're loyal to the Dark, but not more so than to your son. Which means you have already started to plan? So, I ask again, what do we do now?"

He stared at his mate for a second before smiling softly.

"For now, nothing. I do not know what Potter or Draco have planned but you are right, I will stand with my son."

He frowned when Severus stepped away from him.

"Lucius, you would be taking on Our Lord, whom we have sworn loyalty to. He is violent and dangerous." Lucius tried not to acknowledge the worrying feeling growing inside his chest.

"I know," he said meeting his mate's eye so the man knew he meant it.

"You would also be taking on Dumbledore. He carries a lot of weight and most listened to his opinion or advice, those who don't listen to our Lords."

"I know," he said again, he wanted to reach out and pulled Severus close to him, because the more the potions master talked the more Luc began to worry. _Would Severus side against him? _

"This is idoitic," Severus said in a low voice, almost like a growl.

"Sev?" He questioned moving to stand as close as he could to the other man, without touching him, "are you with me?" the question was whispered, as if he didn't have the heart to say it any louder.

His mate glared at him, "Of course I'm with you, you idiot! I'm just pointing out how stupid this is. And that we will be on our own. Only Potter and his friends at our side, against two of the strongest wizards alive." His mate took a breath, "I am just wondering if we have enough allies to win."

Lucius smirked, "I think our Dragon and his mate, are a dangerous duo. Draco is intelligent, strong, and cunning, Potter is stubborn, smart, and more importantly _angry._ Plus both Dumbledore and Tom have giving him the means to take them down. They placed him on a pedestal, the whole wizarding world knows his name, whether they praise him or fear him. They gave him fame, which gives him _power_, the very power he can now use to destroy them." Severus tilted his head as if he was thinking over what Luc has said.

"Dumbledore, maybe, however I believe Tom will not be done away with by public opinion or wizarding law."

"Then we will kill him," Lucius said, feeling one hundred percent certain that if the time came he could kill the man he once swore to follow. It would hurt, as he once viewed Tom as a friend but that was a long time ago. Somewhere along the years he went from Tom to Voldermort to my Lord, that distance would save him from him from feeling any guilt, afterall if it was between Tom Riddle and his son, Lucius Malfoy would always choose his son.


	41. Chapter 41

_Harry,_

_Please come see me after your last class._

_-Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore_

_P.S. I enjoy Ice Mice_

Harry tried not to glare at the note. A tiny first year had delivered it to him after Defense before rushing away. He knew that the headmaster was going to question him, again, about what happened. It just pissed him off that the man thought he had any authority to do so. He wasn't Harry's parent or guardian, no matter what he claimed, he wasn't an auror or member of the ministry, Albus Dumbledore had no right to question him. And yet, the man would. Harry sighed. Dumbledore would sit there in his chair, pretending to be Harry's friend and question Harry about where he had been and what had happened, and Harry got a slight thrill at knowing he was going to lie and fool the old man. But he was still nervous, Dumbledore was smart and powerful, if Harry misspoke or slipped up all Harry's plans could be ruined. Draco, Remus, Sirius, even Snape and the twins could be in danger.

He took a deep breath, set the parchment on fire and walked towards Remus's rooms.

The wolf opened the door before he even knocked, smiling, at least he was until he saw Harry's face.

"What's wrong?" Remus asked pulling him into the room.

"Dumbledore wants to see me." Harry flinched at the growl his godfather let out.

"Should I come with you?" Remus asked after a second.

"I don't know," Harry said dropping down into a chair. "I don't like the idea of being alone with him, but wouldn't it seems strange that I brought you with me? I've never had anyone join us before?"

"True, but I'm staying here now. We could easily say I asked you to join me for dinner. That you came to tell me you didn't know how long you would be, and I insisted on joining you. You were after all just kidnapped and held prisoner for two months, it is believed that I would want to stay close."

Harry grinned at the wolf, relieved that he wouldn't have to face the headmaster alone. "Let's go then shall we?" Remus chuckled and pulled him out of the chair.

Their happy mood faded as they stopped outside the Gargoyle that protected the Headmasters office.

"Ice mice," Harry told the statue which slowly moved out of their way. He clenched his hands tight, took a breath, and then relaxed, he could do this.

Walking up the stairs, he resisted the urge to turn around and run. That small part of him that he was just starting to understand urged him to go find Draco. But he ignored it and knocked on the door.

"Come in," the headmaster called.

When he entered the room, he almost rolled his eyes at the sight of the headmaster behind his desk. The old man smiled at him, "Oh, Harry, my boy, come in." And Harry knew the second the headmaster registered Remus because there was a twitch to the wizard's mouth before he smiled, "Hello, Remus, I wasn't aware you would be joining us."

"Well, me and Harry had plans, I'm helping him catch up on his homework, and dinner of course. When he told me you wanted to see him, I figured I would come along and then we could sneak into the kitchens, get a few snacks and head back to my rooms." Harry had to give it to the wolf, he sounded excited and lighthearted about their failed plans and even though Harry knew it was a lie, he still thought it sounded like the truth.

"I see," the headmaster said, still smiling, "well then I won't keep you long. I just wanted to see how Harry was doing? And see if he remembered anything else about what happened?" The headmaster looked at him, and Harry was quick to look away, not wanting to give the man a chance to read his mind. "Maybe offer someone to talk to." The man added on at the end in a gentle voice and Harry was instantly furious. The man was so full of it.

"Albus, Harry isn't ready to talk about it," Remus berated the headmaster, Harry could hear some of the wolf's anger in his tone, and from the surprised look on Dumbldeors face so did the old man.

"Remus I meant -"

"I know what you meant, headmaster," Remus cut him off, "everyone is pressing him to talk about it, you, the ministry, his friends, Harry _needs _time. And I would appreciate it if you would allow him some." Harry's mouth fell open. He was not expecting this. He turned to look at his godfather, Remus just gave him a reassuring smile.

He heard Dumbledore cleared his throat and turned to the man. He gritted his teeth and the fake guilty look the man now wore. " I wasn't aware," Dumbledore said softly, "I am sorry Harry. If you would like me to speak to the ministry for you, ask them to back off, I can."

_Seriously?,_ Harry thought. "No thanks, Sir, Remus has already talked to them." He smiled openly letting the headmaster see how happy he was about this. He almost laughed when he saw a hint of anger in the headmasters eyes. It was gone quick though.

"Well, my boy, I'm here for you, should you need it."

Remus put his hand on his shoulder, and that helped him not to snap at the man that he would never need him.

"Thank you," he said, with difficulty.

"Headmaster," Remus said, in way of goodbye and he steered Harry out of Dumbledore's office.

Harry kept his cool until they were back in Remus's room, then he shrugged off his godfather's hand.

"I hate him!" He shouted. "He thinks he can just do whatever he wants. That he can control us all like little pawns, he is worse than Voldemort. At least the Dark Lord," he sneered the man's name, "is up front about what he wants." He swung around and looked at Remus, "He ruined my life! And Sirius's, even yours, for what? Fame? power?" He felt tears build in his eyes as he dropped down on Remus couch. "Why does he hate me?" the last part was mumbled as he lost most of his anger.

_**Remus Pov**_

He watched as Harry ranted and felt helpless. He understood his cub's anger, he understood the desire to scream and yell until he had no voice, he had been tempted many times in the last week or so. Even so, he had no idea how to make that anger go away. At least not instantly.

"Why does he hate me?" Harry whispered after he collapsed onto the couch.

Remus sighed. He sat down next to Harry taking his cub in his arms. "I don't think it's hate, I think the headmaster has a plan. Probably one that gives him the most power, and you are as you said a pawn. A piece on his chest board. He has plans for you, for Voldemort, and he doesn't care about anything but you two doing what he wants. As for me and Padfoot, we were, are in the way."

He felt Harry relaxing against him. His godson remained quiet, probably thinking over what he said. Remus shifted a little so that he was comfortable and closed his eyes.

He thought back to the conversation he had with the twins, the one right after him and Siri had read James and Lily's wills. Where they told him about werewolf laws and how it was legal for him to have custody of Harry. As a godfather and one of the people listed in Harry's parents wills, there was nothing the ministry could have done to stop him from taking Harry. He had been furious. Furious at Dumbledore for the man had lied and manipulated him into not fighting for Harry, and himself because he gave into his own fear and doubt. Fear of Moony and the doubt that he would make a good father to Harry, after all he wasn't James. He had to leave the room, afraid that he might lose control and hurt the twins due to his anger.

After he calmed down he couldn't stop thinking about how James and Lily had trusted him to take care of Harry if something happened to them. He had cried at James's faith in him and then laughed at how Liy had just assumed that no matter what, he would have been there, helping Sirius.

He felt so guilty that he had let Dumbledore manipulate him. He had trusted the man so blindly, that when Dumbledore said there wasn't a will and that he would be unable to gain custody of Harry, that he believed him, without looking into it. After all he had thought Dumbledore was their friend.

He had believed the lie that with Sirius in Azkaban, Harry's guardianship fell to Lily's sister. It even made sense to him, as Petunia was Harry's closest living relative. Still he had begged to be allowed to see Harry, but he was told that it would be confusing and dangerous. How would Harry's Aunt and Uncle explain him to Harry, and how guilty would he feel if a supporter of the Dark Lord followed him to Harry?

He had pleaded until he couldn't take the denials anymore. He was grieving the loss of his friends and pack and having to be told time and time again he wasn't allowed to see Harry, it was just too much. So, he threw himself crappy jobs all over the country trying to lose himself in exhaustion and distractions.

He would regret that for the rest of his life. But know that he knew the truth, not only that he was able to fight for custody of Harry, but about Sirius lack of trial, he was going to do everything he could to ruin Dumbledore's plans.

He knew Harry was communicating with Amelia Bones about Sirius trial. How she had gotten the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement to go along with their fake kidnapping he didn't know but he was grateful to the woman. She had already sent Harry several letters about her plans for a private questioning of Sirius. She told Harry that since there had been no trial that she didn't need to apply for a retrial, in fact all she had to do was question Siri under a truth potion with two witnesses. If Sirius wasn't guilty she would file the correct paperwork and his name would be cleared, and there would be nothing anyone could do about it.

She did say that Harry's custody would be a little more difficult. With Dumbledore hiding the Potter's wills and placing Harry in the custody of his Aunt, Sirius and him would have to be able to prove that went against Lily and James wishes. Which they could do now that they had the wills. Then she warned that Sirius had to prove he was capable of taking care of Harry, she was worried that Dumbledore would use Sirius stay in Azkaban against him. Stating that after 12 years in the prison anyone would be damaged and in need of medical help. The last argument she brought up was uprooting Harry, he had spent the last 15 years with his aunt and uncle, Dumbledore could argue that taking him out of his home now could have a negative effect.

The last point is the only reason Remus knew about Harry's letter to Amelia. Harry had been so furious when he had read that that his magic had lashed out and destroyed the office he was in. Remus the only one in the house at the time, had ran in the room panicked and terrified that something had happened. Harry had been standing in the middle of the room, magic swirling around him, the letter in his hand.

It had taken him 10 minutes to calm Harry down. When he had asked his cub what happened Harry's just thrusted the paper at him.

After that Harry and him talked about it and he promised that his cub would not be going back to the Dursleys, even if he had to kidnap him and run off to another country. Harry had laughed and thanked him.

They hadn't told Padfoot yet, both worried about getting his hopes up.

He knew that soon they wouldn't have a choice, in her last letter Amelia said she had everything ready, expect the two witnesses, she had asked Harry if he had any recommendations. Harry had replied Arthur Weasley and Lucius Malfoy.

Remus had questioned him about Arthur, after all Molly was stealing from Harry and Arthur loved his wife and supported Dumbledore. Harry had told him, that Arthur's name never appeared on any of the payouts nor the marriage contract. He said the the elder Weasley believed their father didn't know what was going on, and that he was willing to give the man a chance. After all, he wouldn't be able to tell Dumbledore anything until after Sirius was cleared. Remus was impressed when he realized that Harry was testing Arthur. He just hoped the man was as kind and loyal as four of his children.

He sighed, his head starting to hurt from thinking about it all. He almost moved before he realized Harry had fallen asleep against his side. A wave a nostalgia hit him as he remembered Harry in the past cuddled against his side, sound asleep. He smiled and leaned back against the couch, closing his eyes. A nap sounded wonderful at the moment.


	42. Chapter 42

**Chapter 42**

Ron sat next to him rambling on and on about something, Quidditch maybe, but Harry wasn't paying the redhead any attention. He was mapping out his escape route for later that day. Amelia Bones had owled him, telling him that she had the meeting set for Sirius to come in and see her. That Arthur and Mister Malfoy had already agreed to witness it, though they still didn't know what they were witnessing exactly but had agreed.

Harry originally hadn't planned on going, but Amelia mentioned that she wanted to rush the custody hearing, less interference that way. Her plan was that as soon as she cleared Sirius she could call an emergency meeting. There had to be an hour gap time, a ministry law were they gave a chance for all those involved to show up and plead their case. But she hoped that with how quickly everything moved that neither the Dursleys (as if they would) or Dumbledore could show up and protest Sirius gaining control over Harry.

Bones told him that he didn't need to be there, but he felt that was bullshit. He wanted the chance to argue against anyone that tried to force him back to his vile relatives. Plus he wanted to be by Sirius's side to show that was where he wanted to be. Not having much time to plan, Harry had rushed a letter to the twins asking for advice. They hadn't responded yet, and he was worried they wouldn't in time. So he started to plan himself. The first thing he needed to do was to ditch Ron and then get out of Hogwarts unnoticed.

"Harry, are you listening to me?" Ron asked. He tried to ignore that part of him that wanted to snap at his once best friend, "Thinking Ron, sorry," he muttered instead and tried to look apologetic. It seemed to work as Ron gave a short nod and went back to ranting.

Turned out ditching Ron was easier then he thought it would be. Because as they sat there an owl appeared landing on Ron's knees a small box attached to it's foot. Harry watched as Ron untied it and carefully opened it, inside were some kind of sweets and Ron's face lit up.

"Twins?" Harry asked. It seemed like something they would do, especially if they were trying to help him, though he didn't think Ron would eat anything they sent him.

His ex-friend shook his head, "Charlie." Harry grinned and Ron grinned back. He had no doubt that the candies were from the twins but the older Weasley knew Ron wouldn't eat anything from them so Charlie sent it instead. Harry made a mental note to thank his friends later. He watched gleefully as Ron started shoving the sweets into his mouth, it took two before the redhead stopped, eyes widening before he crumbled to the floor unconscious. Harry laughed at the sight of his ex-best friend on the ground then gathered his things and left.

His cloak was in his bag already, he had taken to carry it with him at all times for two reasons, first, so that neither Ron or Dumbledore could take it, second, in case he needed to disappear in a hurry. With it all he had to do was take the tunnel that led to Honeydukes where he would be meeting Sirius and Remus.

He felt a little bad that him and Moony hadn't told Sirius about what was going on. They were both worried about how the animagus would react. Padfoot's trust in them warmed Harry. It also bewildered him, all Harry had to do was tell the man that it was important and Sirius agreed. No questions, no arguments. Harry just prayed that Amelia Bones was as trustworthy as she appeared. He didn't want to be the one to put his godfather in danger all because he trusted the wrong person.

Wrapped in his cloak he made his way out of honeydukes cellar and then outside, he grinned happily when he saw Remus and a large black dog at his side. He was quiet as he snuck up on the pair, Remus tensed when Harry got close, probably smelling him. He put his hand on the man's wrist and smiled when Remus let out a relieved breath. He wasn't sure if that was what got the excited bark from Sirius or if in his dog form he could smell Harry as well. They moved as one, away from store. At the end of the village Remus put a hand on Padfoot's head and Harry tightened his hand around his godfather's wrist. The feeling of being sucked through a straw made him gag and then he found himself in an office room.

A blonde woman, Arthur Weasley who looked stunned at the sight of three of them, and Lucius Malfoy who blinked once before regaining his composure, greeted them.

Bones gave Padfoot a calculating look before she nodded. "Mister Black, if you would please change, we can get started." Sirius scuffed and then shifted into a human. Arthur made a choked sound and Harry watched as the man gave a panicked look between Sirius, Bones and Malfoy.

"What exactly are we doing here?" Malfoy asked, moving to stand by the door way, _close to the exit, _Harry realized.

"We are here, Mister Malfoy, to have an emergency interview slash interrogation for Sirius Black, once he has been formerly cleared, we will move down to court room 10 for an expedited custody hearing." Harry watched as both Arthur and Sirius gasped at Bones, both clearly surprised.

"We are witnesses," Arthur said, as if he was just piecing together what he and Malfoy were doing there.

"Yes, you are," Bones said. Despite what was going on Harry couldn't take his eyes off Arthur. The man's eyes searched the room and Harry could tell the man was trying to understand why it was them here and not Dumbledore. Arthur stopped on him, gaze searching before he closed his eyes and took a breath.

"Where do we start?" he asked when he opened them again. Harry felt himself let out a breath. Whatever thoughts Arthur may have had, he had settled on helping them. Harry just hoped he got a moment to talk to the man before he could talk to Dumbledore. For Arthur may have guessed they didn't want him here, but he wouldn't know they didn't trust the man anymore.

Turned out there wasn't much for Harry, Remus, Arthur and Lucius to do.

They sat, or stood in Mister Malfoy's case, and watched as Bones questioned Sirius, after giving him a truth potion, of course. She got his versions of the events from the night Harry's parents died and how Pettigrew become their secret keeper. Then she asked about what happened in Harry's third year, asking Remus and Harry a handful of questions as well. At the end she gave Sirius the antidote and pulled out a piece of parchment.

She tapped the parchment twice with her wand and then signed it, when she was finished she handed it to Arthur who sighed in and handed it off to Lucius.

"Mister Black," the blonde woman said with a smile. "It seems the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and the Ministry itself owe you an apology. You have been accused of a crime you didn't commit and locked away for 12 years without any evidence or trial. I will make sure to file a complaint on your behalf as well as a _request _for compensation, as you are rightly owed." She tapped the parchment again, causing the paper to disappear.

Sirius rushed to his feet pulling both Harry and Remus into a suffocating hug.

Bones cleared her throat. "As badly," she smiled again, "as I want to let you three celerbrate, there is more we have to do. I have to arrange the custody hearing and send out an announcement about it," Harry put his hand on Sirius's arm as the man started to growl, "I'm sorry Mister Black, by law I have to give any and all people involved an hour minimum to appear."

Sirius dropped down into his seat, "how long do we have to wait?"

"I have already started the paperwork, it should take less than 10 minutes to finish it and gather the others. However, we can not start until exactly one hour after I have sent out the announcement. You three are welcome to stay in my office until it's time." She turned and looked at Arthur and Lucius. "You two are free to go, but I must ask that you keep what happened here, and the upcoming custody case to yourselves until all this is over." Malfoy nodded and left the room. Arthur however seemed conflicted.

The twin's father seemed to want to stay and talked to them. He hovered at the doorway for a second before sighing, he gave Harry one last look before he turned away.

"Wait!" Harry called out, "You can stay." The head of the Weasley family visibly relaxed before he turned and came back into the room.

Amelia Bones left shortly after to get everything ready and the room fell into an awkward silence.

"Why isn't Dumbledore here?" Arthur asked after several minutes.

Harry couldn't go over it again. He whispered to Remus that he could give the red-head the details and he left the room. He stood out in the hall way back to Amelia's door and waited. It seemed the twins were right about their father, the man was good and trustworthy, and Harry was almost positive he hadn't known what his wife, son and daughter had been up too. He wondered briefly if Remus would tell him, or if they were just covering Dumbledore's crimes.

"Are you alright?" Amelia asked appearing at his side.

"Think so," he said, giving her a smile.

"You know Potter, I have been very understanding of your circumstances and even kept your secrets, but I have to ask Darryl Owen? You guaranteed me his crimes were equally or worse than what he would be charged with. What could he have done that was worse then kidnapping and torture?"

"He hunted down and killed Dark wizards,'' he replied, "Remus has documents proof that Owen killed suspected Dark wizards, some for _resisting _arrest, other for being _caught _in the act, he also has proof of Owen planting evidence." He watched as the woman in front of him grew more and more angry. "There is also proof his partner knew of some of his actions." The department head cursed and stomped away from him.

A second later he almost fell to the floor backwards as the door he was leaning against suddenly opened. Sirius caught him with a low chuckle, before pushing him back onto his feet.

"Alright there pup?" the man asked. Harry glared at him then looked at Arthur. The man wasted no time before he rushed forward and hugged him.

"I'm sorry," the man whispered. " I didn't know." Harry hugged him back.

"I know." Arthur pulled away and looked at him. "You didn't seem the type to plot or lie, plus your sons seemed positive you had nothing to do with any of it." Arthur gave him a sad smile.

"I'll give it all back," the man swore, "everything they stole from you, and the marriage contract, I'll cancel it." Harry held up his hand.

"Don't worry about the money, I don't need it, and the contract is invalid. Dumbledore was never my guardian so he couldn't sign anything." Arthur gave him a look then shrugged.

"If you're sure." the man said.

"Mister Potter?" He turned to look at Bones. "It's time." Harry's heart raced as he moved to follow her.


	43. Chapter 43

**Chapter 43**

The courtroom was smaller than the one he had been in before. It felt more personal somehow, the way they were all closer together, maybe. Harry and Remus had been asked to sit in the sitting area, behind Sirius but they had refused and Miss Bones had two more chairs placed next to Harry's godfather for them to sit.

Across a small walk away was another table, Remus had whispered in his ear that it was for the Dusleys or Dumbledore, should they show and try to fight Sirius' claim. In the front of the room was a large bench area. Three seats where Amelia Bones and two men were seated. Harry figured they were the judges and was grateful, he knew Bones was on his side Harry just hoped the other two were as well. There were a few others in the room, including Lucius Malfoy, Arthur Weasley, and Rufus Scrimgeour the current Ministry of Magic, Harry was sure he recognized a few Aurors and Order members. None of them mattered at the moment. He looked away to see Remus had cast a _tempus. _It was counting down, showing the hour was almost up. He wondered if it was too early to be grateful that no one else had shown yet.

Of course it was his luck that just as the hour was about up, Dumbledore walked in. Harry's world spun when the Dusley's and Snape followed behind him. Panic filled him and he suddenly couldn't breathe, he felt someone pulling him against them, he recognized Sirius's scent and closed his eyes and hugged his godfather.

"The bastard." He heard Sirius curse next to him. His godfather's anger helped him calm down a little, and he slowly started to be able to breathe again.

"They can't…" Harry muttered against the man's chest. He wasn't sure if he wanted to say they couldn't be here or that they couldn't take him away but it seemed his godfathers understood because Remus growled low and whispered, "We won't let them."

A second later he heard the door open again. He figured since all the people he didn't want were already here, he pulled away from Sirius and looked up. He felt relieved when he saw four redheads moving to sit behind him and his godfathers. He gave each of them a grateful smile and tried not to look at the other side of the room. Where he knew his aunt and uncle would be seated. Even without looking he knew Dumbledore was sitting behind them, fake smile, fake twinkle in his eyes. He wanted to hurt the man.

"It seems,'' male voice said from the front of the room, "that we are all here."

"Today we will preside over and determine the custody of one Harry James Potter. Overseeing this matter is myself, Michael Moore, Mister Ephram Wells and Miss Amelia Bones. As Sirius Black has been cleared of any and all charges against him and was named Harry Potter's godfather by Lily and James Potter, custody rightfully belongs to him. Hopefully this should be a simple matter of recognizing Lord Black's rights and allowing him and Mister Potter to go about their lives. Now as with the law, I have to ask, is there any," The man looked at the Dursleys, "that wish to fight this matter."

Dumbledore of course stood up."Mister Potter has spent 15 years being raised by his muggle relatives, they have cared for and looked after him, uprooting him now would be cruel and unnecessary." Sirius and Remus growled in sync and Harry heard one or more curses from behind them.

"Cared for him?" Remus growled standing up, the wolf glared at Dumbledore. "They neglected him, refused him food, hit him, and called him a freak until he was the age to start muggle primary school." Harry saw several people wince and even a couple paled at Remus' words.

"Remus, my friend, those are exaggerations, all children complain of their families. I assure you Harry has been well cared for." Harry was sure Sirius was going to lunge across the aisle and strangle the old man.

"Is that so Mister Dumbledore?" Amelia asked. Of course the old man nodded, he didn't know that Harry had given her proof about the Dursley's treatment.

"Then can you explain this to us?" She asked with a smile as she handing a piece of parchment to Mister Wells, who gasped and handed it to Moore. After both men saw it, the parchment was floated across the room to Dumbledore who paled slightly at it before glaring at Harry. Harry wanted to smirk and let the man know he hated him, but he couldn't, not yet. So he dropped his head.

"What is it?" Sirius asked, and the paper was ripped from Dumbledore's hands and into Sirius. The man shook and started to growl, Harry looked at the envelope in his godfather's hands.

Mr. H. Potter,

The Cupboard under the Stairs,

4 Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey

Harry watched as Dumbledore tried to think of an excuse or reason for the address.

"I am not sure. Amerlia, my dear, the letters are sent out by magic at the start of every year. An error perhaps?" Harry silently cheered when all three judges glared at the headmaster.

Dumbledore must have seen it too because he frowned and took a step back. "I stand by my beliefs that the Dursely's are Harry's best choice." The bastard sent Sirius an apologetic look, "I know Mister Black cares for Harry and wants to take him in, but he spent 12 years in Azkaban and 3 more on the run. He needs to look after himself. Now that he is free, he should see a mediwitch and mind healer." Sirius growled and Harry grabbed his arm and squeezed.

_Sirius really had to keep himself calm, he didn't need to prove Dumbledore's point. _

"Sirius has already seen both a healer and a mind healer," Remus said, looking at the judges. "While no wizards would look at a criminal or man on the run, the Goblins had no such problems. As no official papers were filed about Sirius, the goblins didn't see him as a felon. They have looked him over and supplied him with a supply of potions to help him gain weight, clear his mind and help with any lingering depression." Harry had to look at Dumbledore. The man was fuming, even if he wasn't showing it. Harry could see the way his hands held in tight fist shock at his side and the dark look he sent the Dursleys and Remus.

The headmaster put on a fake grin. "That is wonderful, however that means he still needs time to heal, and I question his ability to look after Harry in the meantime."

This time it was a pair of Weasley's growled.

"It's not for you to question," Amelia snapped, "you are a headmaster Dumbledore, you are not responsible for Harry Potter's wellbeing outside of school."

Harry grinned.

"While I agree with you Amelia, I have to wonder about Mister Black's mental state," Wells said. "He did spend 12 years in Azkaban, and we are here to make sure Mister Potter is placed in the best home for him." Harry wanted to be angry at the man, but he understood that man really was trying to look after him.

"He wouldn't be alone," Remus said. "We have already discussed it and I will be moving in with Harry and Sirius to help them out." Harry wondered if it was possible for Dumbledore's head to explode from how red his face turned, Harry was sure if it was possible the man was close.

The three judges looked at Dumbledore as if waiting for his argument.

The man didn't disappoint.

"I'm sure Remus would be a caring guardian for Harry, if Sirius can't care for Harry as his godfather, alone, then it falls to Harry's blood relatives to look after him. As they have been doing for the last 15 years." Harry gritted his teeth for a second before he saw Bones smile. It was a twin like smile, one they wore when they were about to do something..._troublesome. _ Harry moved to the edge of his seat as he waited for her to speak.

"That would be true, Albus, if the Potter's hadn't left a clear list of guardianship for their son in their wills." _Wills?_ Harry hadn't given her his parents wills. He hadn't been sure he wanted others reading his parents personal words. He looked at Remus who smiled, "I only gave her enough to see who your parents wanted to take care of you, if Pads couldn't."

He didn't get to reply because the Headmaster gasped, "W...ills?" The man stuttered, "I-was unaware the Potter wills were unsealed."

Amelia smirked, "They have been unsealed on the Ministry's order."

"Surely Lily wanted Harry to be raised by her sister?" He said, and Harry was sure the man knew she hadn't.

"No," Amerlia said, pulling out a piece of parchment, "In fact, she made it quite clear that she didn't want Petunia Dursley anywhere near her son. Both Lily and James Potter listed several people and as Remus Lupin is on that list, I see no problem with him and Lord Black receiving custody of Mister Potter."

The way the room fell silent, Harry was sure it was over. That he would finally be allowed to go home with Sirius. He reached over and took his godfather's hand. The man was shaking, hopefully from excitement, and seemed happy to squeeze Harry's hand until it turned white. Not that Harry complained.

"Unfortunately," Dumbledore said, and the whole room groaned, "Lupin is a werewolf and isn't allowed to have custody of a child. That is Ministry law." Harry actually jumped out of his seat, ready to yell at the man. That was what he was going with, the man who had allowed Remus to teach at Hogwarts was going to try and use that to keep Harry locked up with the Dursleys.

Hands on both his shoulders shoved him back into his seat, he knew the whole room was watching him as Remus and Sirius both tried to calm him down.

"That's not true," one of the twins said, standing behind him. All three judges looked at him, Wells even had his eyebrow raised when Harry looked at him. "Werewolf laws are strict and completely messed up, but there is no law against a werewolf being giving custody through a will nor one against a werewolf being named as a godparent." Harry turned to see Fred smirk at Dumbledore before sitting down.

The judges looked unsure and Dumbledore looked pleased. Harry was furious.

"Does it matter, " Bill said, not bothering to stand up, "Black has made it clear he is seeking help for the after effects of his time _wrongfully _imprisoned and Lupin is willing to stay with them both. I'm sure between the two of them they can look after and take care of Harry. Besides the Dursleys aren't listed as guardians and I know there is another name on that list, so have that guardian check up on them from time to time, if you are so inclined, but let Harry go home with his godfathers, it is where he wants to be after all." Harry stared stunned at the redhead's words, and noticed he wasn't the only one.

His attention was ripped away when someone cleared their throat.

He turned to see Amelia standing, parchment in her hand, "This hearing is over. As Mister Weasley just stated, Mister Potter should be allowed to go home with the people he feels that care for and love him. Mister Black never should have been locked away. He never should have lost custody and Mister Potter should never have been placed with the Dursleys. We see no reason why he shouldn't be allowed to go home with his Godfather," she coughed, "Godfathers. If there is any _other_ objections they can be filed and looked into at another time. Congratulations Mister Black, Lupin and Potter."

Sirius was out of his seat before she finished saying their names, he had Harry up and in a tight hug a second later. Remus quickly joined them. They were so busy hugging and smiling they didn't notice the Dursleys leaving, nor the judges exit their bench and start walking over toward them, only to be cut off by the headmaster.

Harry only noticed when he heard Bones snapped, "I can not tell you that." her voice was stern and she was frowning at Dumbledore.

"Tell him what?" The twins asked together coming to stand next to Harry. Their father and brothers right behind them.

"I was just wondering who else was named in the Potter's will." Dumbledore said with a bullshit smile, "I'm sure they would like to know, maybe even help look after Harry." Harry snorted, he couldn't help it. The man was so fucking full of it.

"Let's go," he said reaching around to grab Sirius hand, he didn't give his godfather a chance to say anything before he tugged and dragged him away. Sirius was free and Harry wasn't going to waste anymore time standing in this room listening to Dumbledore trying to find another way to control him. Besides, Snape was the other name listed, and Harry wanted to talk to the man about it and other things, alone.


	44. Chapter 44

Chapter 44:

The first parental thing Sirius did was write a note to the headmaster that Harry was going to spend the weekend at home with his godfathers. Harry had grinned as he watched his godfather write it against one of the walls inside the Ministry. Siri then handed it off to Miss Bones, who chuckled and promised to send it right away. His great mood only increased when they neared the floos and the Weasley's followed close behind them. It seemed the redhead's planned on accompanying Harry and his godfathers home.

Harry made sure to give the twins a huge smile before he stepped into the floo and shouted, " Liliana Cottage."

He stumbled, because of course he did, when he arrived much to a grinning Sirius's amusement. His godfather helped him stay on his feet, not that he stayed that way for long, because the second the two matching redheads arrived they rushed and tackled him.

They held him tight and cheered. He giggled at their lightheartedness and playfulness.

It turned into a slight wrestling game as the twins refused to allow him to go free. They rolled around on the floor laughing until Mister Weasley used his wand to separate them. The man laughed as he floated his two boys off the ground and onto their feet. The twins pouted at him and Harry couldn't stop smiling. While his brother's were being levitated away, Charlie reached down and helped him to his feet.

Harry gave himself one day of playfulness and fun with his godfathers and the twins, who stayed behind when the rest of the Weasley's left. That second night when everyone else went to bed he started planning.

He wanted to make the custody trial public, very public. He wanted the whole wizarding world to hear about Dumbledore's carelessness for Harry's treatment at the hands of his relatives. He wanted them to see the bastard defend the useless and abusive muggles. He wanted to destroy the goodhearted, caring, grandfather image the man had worked so hard to make.

He also wanted to bring to light a few things that had been overlooked in past years.

Like the damn stone in his first year, the Chamber of Secrets, Harry's forced participation in the triwizard tournament, and the treatment of the students inside of Hogwarts. The last one only came to him after listening to Draco complain about how Professor Mcgonagall never award points to Slytherins. Harry hadn't really thought about it before and made a sarcastic comment about how Snape didn't either. Draco had glared at him and asked about the points given when they were in the past.

Harry had thought back and realized that in almost every class he had attended someone gained or lost points, surprising it was only looking back that he noticed it didn't matter the house. The professors had awarded or punished everyone equally. When he mentioned it Draco said that Snape does favor the Slytherins but only awards points the way he does to try and balance out the other Professors clear favoritism.

Harry also wanted to point out the bullying. Not just against the Slytherins. But he had seen both Luna and Neville bullied since he had returned from the past and it pissed him off. None of the Professors seemed to want to interfere. He even heard Professor Hooch muttering about kids being kids.

The only problem he had was who to send this all too. Bones was already looking into Dumbledore quietly. He needed someone who wasn't afraid to voice-

He groaned.

Skeeter.

The beetle animagus would love this kind of story. He just had to find a way to use her without Hermione finding out. His ex friend knew and would surely snitch the reporter out to protect the headmaster.

While debating that he started thinking about Voldemort.

The man had been silent since Harry returned and from the whispers around school had only lead a couple attacks in the time he was gone. Harry didn't want to fight him again. Not after the DOM. He had only escaped because Dumbledore had come in, probably to get the credit, and he wasn't sure he could defeat the Dark wizard even with the extra training Draco had given him.

What he needed to do was figure out how the man had survived. Which meant he needed to talk to a Death Eater, he sighed again. He wasn't sure writing to Lucius was a good idea, he knew that Voldemort tended to be at Malfoy Manor and didn't want to take the chance of someone else getting the letter. So he needed any other way.

He thought about it for a few minutes and come to the conclusion that he needed to talk to Snape, about more than one thing. Which meant he needed to go back to school. He packed away his notes and crawled into bed. He would have to break the news to Sirius in the morning.

His godfather wasn't going to be happy.

He was right, both Sirius and Remus tried to talk him into staying a couple more days. But he refused, he told them he had missed too many days and while he wanted to stay and spend time with them, he needed to get caught up. Neither man looked like they believed him but thankfully they let him go.

When he returned to school later that day he was ambushed as he walked into the common room.

Surprisingly it was Neville and Dean. Both hugged him and started asking about Sirius's innocence and if Harry had known. As he filled them in on the details he felt safe. He was telling them about how excited he was about living with his godfathers when Ron and Hermione walked in.

"What were you thinking!" His ex-best friend shouted in a very high voice. Ron who had been standing next to her tried to cover his ears.

"About what?" Harry asked.

"Sirius is in no shape to take care of you. Harry, it's cruel of you to force him too when he should be getting himself better." The bushy haired brunette crossed her arms over her chest. He felt anger surge through him.

"Cruel?" He hissed the word out, " Cruel like being forced to live in a cupboard or staved. Cruel like Dumbledore knowing Siri was innocent and doing nothing to help him? Or cruel like you're best friends questioning and doubting you all the time?" Hermione opened her mouth to object but Harry wasn't having it. This was probably the best time to end this pathetic excuse of a friendship.

"You know what," He glared at her and than Ron, "I'm done. You two clearly don't care what happens to me and I'm not going to be guilted or harassed about living with my godfather." He stormed past them and into the boys dormitories. He just hoped that Ron would stay away for a while.

He was a little surprised Dean and Neville came in and sat on his bed with him.

"You okay?" Dean asked.

He looked at his two housemates. He felt wholeheartedly that he could trust Neville, the other boy was to nice and honest to be lying about his friendship. Truth was he didn't really know Dean or Seamus that well. They hung out in the dorms or classes sure but never outside of that. They never sent letters or hangout on weekends. Maybe that was proof in itself that the other two Gyffindors weren't being used by Dumbledore.

"I think I'm okay." Harry said, "I think we started to grow apart before...I was taken, and since I've been back," he sighed, "it's like they just want to scream at or badger me." He shrugged. "Maybe it was just time to end our friendship." Neville reached and patted Harry on the back.

"While I'm still your friend mate, if you need anyone to talk to or hang out with…" The normally quiet boy smiled, "I'm here."

"Me too." Dean said. "And I know Seamus is as well." Harry moved so he could hug Neville and then quickly before changing his mind Dean as well. He didn't think he would ever be close to them, not like he thought he had been with Ron and Hermione or like he was with Draco or the twins. But it was still nice to know he has some friends left in his house.

"Thank you." He whispered to both of them.

The two boys left a little while later and Harry crawled out of his bed and opened his trunk. He took out a couple pieces of paper and a couple of photos Remus and Sirius had found inside the cottage. Surprisingly it has been Siri that recommended taken the photos. He had told Harry he knew what it was like to lose them. To spend days, years without seeing James or Remus's faces. He had admitted that one of the first thing he had done once free was search the papers for Harry's face.

Carefully he put everything in the inside pocket of his rope, grabbed his invisibility cloak and snuck out.

His heart raced as he made his way into the lower levels of the castle. He froze outside the Potions masters chambers, which he only could find because Draco told him where to go, was he really about to do this? What if Snape didn't care or told him to get lost? He swallowed and knocked on the door.

It didn't take long for Snape to open it and glare at Harry.

"Can I come in?" He asked not looking the man in the eye. He heard the professor sigh before moving out of the way and allowing Harry to enter.

"What do you want Potter?" Snape asked once he was inside and the door was closed.

"This is...kinda personal Sir, can we sit?" The man's eyebrows raised at the question before he gestured to a sofa at the center of the room. Harry reached into his robe and pulled out the papers before sitting down. He looked them over debating where to start. Did he want to show Snape his mother's will first or the Dissolution of Marriage Sirius had already signed. His godfather had seemed to understand what Harry was trying to ask when he showed him the documents Harry had asked Bill to get. The Sirius had given them a quick read over and signed them, telling Harry to make sure Snape or Malfoy filled them out correctly and only when they were ready. Once signed by all party's they documents would become active and Narcissa would be a Black again and she would then become Sirius's responsibility.

"Potter?" He heard Snape ask. Harry realized he must have zoned out looking at the papers in his hand. Taking in a long slow breath he held the Dissolution of Marriage out towards the Potions master.

"Draco," He started, "Umm in the past, he told me about you and Mister Malfoy." He chuckled a little at the memory, "Or well he kinda freaked out on you guys and then came and told me about it." He saw Snape's eyes went wide as he read over the paper. " He also told me about the arranged marriage between his parents." Snape looked up at him. "He asked if Sirius could break it."

"I don't know if Draco has talked to his dad yet, but I wanted to make sure you got the papers and that if you really wanted it, I guess it's your choice." He shrugged not sure his words made sense. He had wanted to talk to Severus make sure that Lucius was what he wanted but now he was too nervous to make the words match his thoughts. It all came out rushed and badly worded.

"Harry," He met the professor's eyes. "Thank you." Relief went through him. The man really did look grateful, maybe a little shocked, and by the tiny smile Harry saw, happy. He debated getting up and just leaving. Letting Severus Snape have his happy moment. He wasn't sure how the man would feel about the other paper Harry held.

He actually stood up before a hand on his arm stopped him.

"Harry, what is the other paper?" Snape's eyes were on it and Harry couldn't help but look down at his hand. He was shaking. When had that started?

He opened his mouth trying to force the words out but all that came out was a broken sound. Snape looked up at him for a second before the potions master's hand slide down Harry's arm and he gently took the copy of Lily's will from Harry's hand.

Harry's feet were frozen while he watched Snape unfold it. It took a second, a single over before you could blink second for Snape to read the title.

The man stumbled backwards and fell into his seat. Eyes never leaving the paper.

It didn't take long for the man to finish the paper. When he was done his head fell back against the couch and Harry could see tears falling down his professors cheeks. He suddenly felt like he was invading and he finally got his feet to move. He tried not to make a sound as he walked towards the door.

"I'm who William Weasley was talking about at Black's custody trail?" The man asked and Harry stopped and turned to face him. Snape's eyes were on him, the man seemed conflicted worried maybe about what he read.

Harry nodded.

"Are…" Snape cleared his throat, "Are you okay with this?" It took Harry a second to answer not because he bothered by Snape being his Godfather but because he was trying to figure out how Snape felt about it. He finally figured it out, Snape was scared Harry didn't want it.

"Yeah." He answered, giving the man a smile, "I'm okay with it." Snape visibly relaxed.

"Me too." The man muttered after a second. Harry's smile grew bigger. Not sure what to do now he opened the man's door, "Oh, Sirius says make sure everything is ready before you fill out the paper, cause the second its done. Narcissa will be pissed."

Snape nodded. "Thank you." The man said to Harry's back as he turned and left.

Harry walked down the corridor, he took his time returning to the tower. He felt relieved that Snape hadn't freaked out over either paper and that he wanted to be one of Harry's godfathers. Truthfully he had been worried. With how Snape felt about James, Sirius, and Harry most days, he thought for sure the man would have told him no. That he didn't want anything to do with Harry passed Harry and Draco's relationship, or maybe the war with the insane wizards. Instead he had looked relieved when Harry had said he was okay with it. It had taken his breath away for a second.

"Where the hell have you been?" Ron shouted the second he walked into the common room, his good mood about Snape gone. Harry stopped and looked at the red faced, redhead, Hermione and Ginny on either side of him. He could see Neville, Seamus, and Dean behind the trio looking at each other and then back at Ron and the other two.

"Excuse me?" Harry asked.

"Where have you been? You show up acting like a prat and yelling at us and then you just go off, not a word about where you are going!" Harry actually had to wrap his robes around his fingers to stop himself from hexing or punching the other Gryffindor.

"Ron, we aren't friends anymore. I don't owe you or anyone an explanation for where I go." He tried to shove passed his old friends but Hermione grabbed his arm.

"Harry, you haven't been the same since you've been back," she said gently like she was afraid to spook him, "maybe we should have the headmaster look at you?"

"Yeah, Harry," Ginny said, "Maybe Malfoy did something to you. Let us help." Harry had never had the urge to hit a girl before, never even thought about it, not even his Aunt. But the way Ginny moved to stand in front of him, cutting his escape route off and the way Hermione held his arm, he wanted to hit them just as badly as he wanted to hit Ron, who stood next to his sister look smug.

He ripped his arm free and glared at his old friend when she cried out when she stumbled forward.

"Don't touch me." He hissed at her and then looked at Ginny.

"I don't want or need your help. Draco is my friend, unlike you three. He hasn't screamed or attacked me over who I want to live with or talked to. Maybe you should take a few pointers from him." He tried to walk away again but Ginny would move out of his way.

"Guy's leave him alone." Dean said coming to stand behind Ginny, he put his hand on her shoulder and tried to pull her back. She growled at him and shrugged him off.

"Stay out of this Thomas." Ron said moving to push the other boy's hand off his sisters shoulder.

No," Dean said, "you guys are ganging up on Harry when it's clear he would rather be elsewhere."

In a flash Ron's wand was pointed at the dark skinned boys face, and just as quick Harry's, Neville's, and Seamus's were pointed at Ron. It took Hermione and Ginny a second and the two seemed confused on who to point their wants at. Harry or the other two.

"What is going on in here!" Professor Mcgonagall's voice carried across the room as she stormed into the room, Professor Snape and the Headmaster behind her.

Shit, Harry cursed in his head, as he lowered his wand.

"They were ganging up on Harry," Seamus said, Harry turned to look at his dorm mate, he too had lowered his wand though he was sneering at Ron, "yelling and grabbing him."

"We tried to get them to leave him alone and Ron drew his wand." Dean said, his wand now pointed at the ground.

"Is that true?" The professor turned her sharp gaze on to Ron, who at least looked a little guilty about his actions.

"He grabbed Ginny!" Ron said as defense pointing at Dean.

"I tried to move my girlfriend out of Harry's way." Dean said in defense and Harry's brain got stuck on the word girlfriend, when the hell did that happen?

"It seems like a misunderstanding." Harry wasn't looking at the man, but he could just feel the Headmasters annoyance at the situation. He almost turned and told the man to fuck off.

"They drew wands, Albus," Professor Mcgonagall said, "there has to be some kind of punishment."

"Detention." Snape said, "Perhaps cleaning caldron's will teach them a lesson."

"Now, now, Severus, I'm sure all they need is a good talking to."

"Yeah." Ron said, earning a sharp look from just about everyone. Ginny even elbowed her brother in the ribs.

"I have to agree with Severus." Mcgonagall said.

Dumbledore did not look happy at this, but the man shrugged and gave the room a fake smile, "it seems I am out numbered." There was a chuckled, "Now then I think Harry, Mister Weasley, and Miss Granger, should have…"

"I think not." Snape cut him off, "those three need to be seperated. I'll take Potter. Minerva can handle Weasley and Granger. I think Pomona could use Longbottom's help in the greenhouses, as for Thomas and Finnigan, I'm positive Pomfrey could use some help in the hospital wing."

"Agreed." Mcgonagall said before the headmaster could try and argue.

"Potter with me." Harry rushed to follow after the man. Neither said a word until they reached the Potion's lab.

"Sorry." Harry muttered once inside.

"What for?" Snape asked looking at him a little confused.

"Getting in trouble?" Harry replied though now he was a little confused. Wasn't the man mad at him? He had literally only been out of his office for minutes before he was in trouble.

"Harry, did you pull your wand first?"

He shook his head.

"Did you internally rile up Weasley so that he would?"

Again he shook his head.

"Did you ask, Longbottom, Finnigan, or Thomas to defend you?"

Harry was starting to see what the man was getting at, he shook his head no.

"Then you have nothing to be sorry for. Now do your homework or something while I grade papers." Harry stood frozen for a second watching as the man sat behind his desk and started moving things around, when Severus looked up at him, he blushed and moved to one of the tables. A chair appeared as he approached and he gave the professor a thankful smile before he sat down and started on his Charms essay.


	45. Chapter 45

Harry was about halfway through the parchment when he remembered he had forgotten to ask Snape about Voldemort and Lucius.

"Professor?" He said, looking up at the man who was still glaring at students essays behind his desk. The dark haired man looked up at him, "Yes?"

Harry swallowed. "Do you know anything about how Voldemort survived...me? Or whatever happened that night?" The man leaned back in his chair and sighed.

"I do not. I know the death eaters all have theories but the Dark Lord refuses to answer any of them."

"Do you think Mister Malfoy would know anything?"

The dark haired man lifted an eyebrow. "He may, though if he does he hasn't mentioned anything to me. I'll speak to him about it when I have a chance."

"Thank you, sir."

When Harry was finished Snape had told him to go to bed and to try to avoid anymore fights with his old friends. He had snorted and walked out of the man's classroom. He didn't make it more than a few feet before he felt a pull in his abdomen that he felt he _had_ to follow.

It didn't take him long to figure out he was being directed to the Room of Requirements and he smiled. He thought about the room he wanted and muttered the password when the door appeared. He slipped inside to see the bed that Draco had called once before was present and the blonde Slytherin was laying in the center. Harry tried to be quiet as he put his bag on the floor, but Draco stirred and sat up.

"Hey," the slytherin said, smiling at him.

"Hey," Harry said back trying not to grin like an idiot because that smile on Draco's face did something to him and now all Harry wanted to do was crawl onto the bed and press himself as close as he could to his mate. It wasn't sexual, he knew that, but it was a need to be close.

Going on instinct he took off his robes and kicked off his shoes and then he got onto the bed. Draco must have been feeling something similar because the other boy laid on his side and pulled Harry close against him as soon as he could. With Draco at his back, the blonde's arm over his stomach Harry took his mate's hand and closed his eyes. He felt happy, content and safe. As he drifted off to sleep he swore the Malfoy heir was purring behind him.

_Bill POV_

_I probably shouldn't have told Charlie to get lost, _he thought with a chuckle as he looked around the hallway outside the living room. He hadn't meant it literally but it seemed his little brother had wandered off inside the Manor and now Bill couldn't find him.

"Charlie!" he called out as he bypassed a number of open doors. He had already shouted his brother's name a couple times and if Charlie had been in any of those rooms, he would have responded. A knot of unease grew in his stomach. He headed for the north staircase. They hadn't reached this far into the house yet, and if Charlie had wandered off in this direction, Bill had no idea what he would have stumbled upon.

When he got no response he carefully started his way up the stairs. At the last stair he pulled out his wand and muttered a Point me spell. The knot in his stomach grew as the wand spun and spun in his hand. Bill cancelled the spell. It seemed the Potter's had wards set up inside the house as well as the ones outside it. He cursed under his breath and called out his brother's name again.

Bill had been searching over the house for days now and while they hadn't found anything particularly dangerous, they had found a number of dark objects and a couple of questionable rooms. That should have made him feel better, knowing that his brother should be okay, but 'should' didn't mean 'was'. Trying not to let his imagination run wild, he opened the first door he saw. It was a beautiful bedroom, but Charlie wasn't in it, so he closed the door and moved across the hall to the next one.

As he opened the door, he tried not to think about the fact he hadn't heard from his brother in close to two hours. He cursed himself, how had he gotten so sidetracked he had failed to notice how long Charlie had been gone.

"My fault," he muttered as he looked over another bedroom. If he hadn't told his brother to get lost then he wouldn't have wandered off. If something happened to Charlie because of him, he'd never forgive himself. Not the mention the only reason Charlie was in the house was because Bill had demanded he come instead of the twins. Bill loved his little brothers but a few days alone with them in a potentially dangerous area was exhausting. They never stayed still and they had to touch _everything. _They also had an annoying habit of walking into rooms without checking them over first, one would think that Fred almost getting fried by a rogue fireplace would have made his brothers more careful, but nope they just kept on as they wanted.

He had been at the end of his patience that morning and ordered Charlie to come with him instead of the twins. Everything had been fine at first. Charlie had a natural curiosity and fascination with magical objects that rivaled Bill's. But then Charlie had found an old bag, inside a number of Dragon bones.

He didn't feel it at first, the power the bones held. Not until Charlie was halfway through his rant about how the Dragon's death 'had better have been from natural causes'. Then there was a ripple in the air and he turned to see Charlie had pulled out one of the bones. Charlie had frozen in place his entire focus on the bone. Even from where he stood Bill could feel the power pouring from them.

Scared, Bill called out his name. At first nothing happened but after a couple of tries, Charlie raised his head slowly. Bill's breath caught in his throat. Charlie's eyes glowed like molten lava and he seemed to be dazed or at least confused. Close to terrified, Bill had panicked and used his wand to throw his brother as far away from the bag as he could. He might have used a bit too much power as his brother flew across the room. Then he quickly levitated the bone back into the bag and spelled the thing shut. He told himself he would have to take a look at them later, or better yet ask the Goblins to.

Afterwards Charlie had apologized and stayed at his side. He had wondered if his brother had been as freaked out as he had been, and maybe that's why he stayed so close. But after a while, Charlie's hovering had started to get on his nerves. Finally about an hour later he told his brother to get lost. It had been a joke, a frustrated one but still a joke. But now that he couldn't find Charlie he felt guilty and worried.

"Charlie!" He shouted out again, this time amplifying his voice with his wand.

"Fuck, Bill, no need to shout!" His brother cursed from a room not far ahead of him. Relieved Bill rushed in and stopped. It was a library, a tiny one but still a library. What had given him pause was they had already found two others inside the Manor. Two was about normal for a place this big, three was unusual.

"Another one?" He asked as he moved to stand next to his brother. Charlie barely nodded his head as he turned the page of the book he was looking at.

"What have you got?" He asked, trying not to think about the bones and how Charlie had been drawn to them.

"I think," his brother said carefully looking up at him with an awed expression, "what old Dumbles is after." Charlie closed the book and handed it to him.

It was a large leather bound book with _**Peverell**_, across the cover.

"Holy-" He gasped and opened it. He only skimmed a few pages before he understood why Charlie was so sure this was what the headmaster was after.

Old families like the Potters, Malfoys, Black, Avery, even Crouch and Longbottoms had family Grimoires. Their father even had one. They all studied from it before going to Hogwarts. They were spell books mostly but they held family potions recipes or inheritance information, anything that was helpful to their children and grandchildren. Outsiders were never supposed to see them. Most families kept them safe and hidden only allowing their children to study them once they are old enough to know to keep it a secret.

But the _really_ old families, the ancient ones, the ones that have all but died out like the Peverell, Slytherian, Gyriffondor, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff, those family Grimoires were all said to be gone, destroyed with their bloodlines.

If Dumbledore suspected that this Grimoire had survived and had been passed down to Harry, surely he would do anything to get his hands on it. With the forgotten spells inside, the headmaster could do untold damage.

"We have to tell Harry," he said, handing the book back to his brother, who turned and put it back on the shelf where he must have found it.

_**Charlie Pov**_

"Agreed," Charlie replied without looking away from the book he had just put back.

When he had stumbled across the small library he hadn't known what to expect but he had felt a pull towards the book and the urge to touch it didn't go away until he had it in his hands.

When Bill announced that they should go and that he wanted to tell Sirius and Remus as soon as possible, Charlie was relieved. He wasn't sure he could stay inside the Manor much longer. Even with the distance between them, he could still feel the Dragon bones calling out to him.

He was no stranger to the urges to find or hold things. It was a curse of his Dragon Kin inheritance. One of several gifts he received when he came of age at 16. But the bones had been different from anything else he had ever come across. He hadn't been able to stop himself.

He had felt them the second he entered the room and he _had_ to see them, touch them. He hadn't even registered walking across the room or opening the bag. He only realized what he was doing when he started reaching into the bag, ignoring the small voice in his mind telling him this was dangerous. The second his fingers wrapped around the long bone, fire raced through his veins and he could feel the magic in the air. He could feel it in everything, the bones, the bag, the wards in the room and even the buildup of power from Bill right before he was thrown across the room.

Once the bone was gone, it was like Charlie had been tossed into an ice cold lake, all the fire and heat was gone. It left him feeling cold and off balance. A little freaked out he stayed close to Bill, using his brother's presence as a reassurance that everything was okay.

That was until his brother got annoyed, not that Charlie blamed him he had been hovering, and told him to beat it. So he had wandered off.

Not only because Bill had snapped, if it had been he could have just sat somewhere in the room and waited until his brother finished. But he could still feel the bones and the idea of putting some distance between him and them seemed like a good idea.

He found a staircase and walked up to it not paying attention to anything other than the bones getting farther and farther away. When he entered the library and he couldn't feel them anymore he had been relieved, right up until the urge to grab the book kicked in. Thankfully it wasn't all consuming like the dragon bones and he knew he could have ignored it if he had wanted, which given his curious nature he didn't.

When he had pulled it off and saw what it was he had been floored. He couldn't believe it. That he was holding the Peverell family's grimoire. The spells inside had to be impressive and powerful. He was wondering, _how the hell had it survived and how did the headmaster know about it?_ When he heard his brother shout.

Afterwards when Bill was talking about going to see Remus and Sirius, Charlie told him to have fun and that he was going home. Bill had looked a little disappointed but wished him a goodnight and apperated away.

Leaving Charlie to apparate inside his living room. Feeling worn and a little jumpy he searched for the bottle of fire whiskey he kept stored for when the twins visited, and poured himself a glass.

_He had lost control tonight, _that thought kept bouncing around inside his head. He hadn't lost control of his abilities since he was 16. It was the day after his birthday and he had been frustrated about something and he had set his room on fire. Not intentionally, he hadn't even known what was happening, other than his arms were suddenly ablaze. He had started screaming.

His mother had rushed in panicked and waving her wand at the blue and orange flames slowly working their way further up Charlie's arms. The flames had burned everything they touched other than him and he remembered being terrified, his heart beating so fast he couldn't breath and tears running down his cheeks.

Somehow his mother had been able to calm him down, talking to him in a careful low voice. Charlie had watched bewildered as the flames dwindled down to nothing. He still hadn't a clue what was going on but he was so happy and grateful they were gone that he rushed to his feet to hug his mother. He froze when he saw her face. Her fear and panic was gone, replaced with disgust.

His heart had sank, _what could have he possibly done to make her look at him like that_? When he finally found his voice, he begged her to tell him what was going on. She simply told him that it was a fluke, a freak accident, and that it was never to happen again! Her voice had gotten cold and stern and it scared him. She insisted that he never speak of it to anyone, not even his father. She had made him swear. Young, confused, and still shaking from fear, he had agreed.

After that he tried his best to never let the flames return, but no matter how he willed them to stay gone, he found they returned whenever he was scared or angry. He kept them hidden, learning that his skin often itched before the flames appeared and would leave the room making sure that no one saw them. He had tried meditation and calming droughts whenever things got overwhelming and he was close to losing control but they only worked so well.

For a year he had fought against what he was, it left him jumpy, crankie, and _exhausted._

He had been at the point that despite the promise he had made, he was thinking about going to his father or Bill. _Maybe they would be able to help him, or atleast give him someone to talk to about it. _

He had been debating which to talk to one day, while shopping for a new pair of dragon hide gloves in Romania. He hadn't been paying much attention as he started past a bookstore. But suddenly there was this tug at the center of his chest and he _had_ to follow it.

He ended up inside the bookstore standing in front of a section of books about Kin.

Charlie had learned a little about them in school. But the only one he had remembered were Werewolves, he remembered the Defense against the Dark Arts lecturing about them for days and days on end. But it had been research for his essay where he learned that Kin were classified as a wizard with certain creature blood inside them. His professor never covered it in class. He also never covered the fact that Vampires weren't part of the kin classification for some reason, though there were plenty of people that believed they should have been. Charlie hadn't even known one could be born a vampire before he stumbled across the books. He only learned about it when he started skimming through them that day.

At the end of the day, he had bought close to a dozen books using up all of his savings. It turned out to be one of the best investments in his life.

That summer he finally learned what he was and how to control it.

Kin weren't just werewolves, they were a classification that covered several different mixed blooded creatures, like shapeshifters, griffins, mermaids, Fae and Dragons. He learned that not all Dragons were like the ones he wanted to work with in Romania when he graduated.

Some were wizards born with the abilities of Dragons, like his burning arms or like his abilities to find things or the desire to own and possess shiny or treasured items. He learned that werewolves were the only creatures on the list that were cursed, not that anyone knew why.

The myths around how the Kin came into being were murky and vague at best. Like most origin stories he would later realize. There were two commonly accepted theories. The first was that some wizards way back then were gifted with certain abilities from the Dragons, Griffins, Fae, or Mermaids. The other more crass theory claimed mixed breeding between wizards and the creatures. Charlie felt those people were the ones that hated creatures like him and didn't pay them any mind.

Life was better after he found that bookstore.

Maybe it was the knowledge of what he was. Or the fact that he had learned better ways to control his new abilities and desires.

Even with that burden lifted he found things would never be the same between him and his mother. After all a Kin wasn't just something that happened, it was in his blood, something passed down from his ancestors. Which meant his mother had known all along what he was and had lied and tried to get him to ignore it.

He had watched his siblings throughout his last year of school, trying to see if any of them showed signs of emerging. Bill he figured was too old and if his brother had ever gained any abilities he had hidden them well. He never saw anything in Percy or the twins that hinted at them being like him. At first he felt saddened and alone, but then he remembered how his mother had looked at him and he was grateful his brothers or Ginny would never have to see that same disgusted look.

Eventually life happened, he graduated and got to move away from his disapproving mother. He found that he was happiest among that dragons and that the other trainers knew what he was and never spoke ill of him. In fact they loved having him around as he could handle the dragons better than the others. The large beasts knew him. They never attacked or burnt him, though more than once they had pinned him down to stop him from leaving or nudged him out of their way, when they wanted to get past him. Their treatment might have seemed a little rough but Charlie knew the dragons were trying to be gentle with him, and it was only Charlie that they manhandled. The dragons never treated the other trainers that same way.

Ric, his mentor, told him that they sensed the dragon in him and that they tended to treat him like a hatchling, which the others found amusing as hell.

The distance didn't stop Charlie from keeping an eye on his siblings, though it made it harder. Every Holiday and break he was home, he tried to spot if any of them had come into their inheritances. He wasn't sure about Percy, but something in the twins had changed around their 16th birthday. He didn't think anyone else noticed so he never mentioned it, just gave them a pile of books he _stumbled_ across that he thought they might like. More than one of the different creatures or Kin.

The books were never mentioned again, but he did notice his mother had never found them either. So maybe just maybe they had done the twins some good and they were smart enough to keep them hidden.

Sitting there drinking firewhiskey, he wondered if it had been the right move. Or if maybe he should have pulled his siblings aside one at a time and told them the truth about him, and the possibility they could be like him. He sighed and put his glass down, who was he kidding, he knew why he never told them. The fear of seeing that _look _on any of their faces had kept his mouth shut.

Maybe it was time to change that. These last few weeks had shown him that his mother wasn't the woman she pretended to be and that his brothers were stronger and more resilient than he ever imagined. With everything going on maybe it was time to tell the others the truth, after all his abilities had led him to the book, _and those bones_, maybe there were other things his skills could help with.


	46. Chapter 46

Harry stared at the note that Hedwig had brought him a few minutes after dinner.

_Meet me in the room your wolf used to spend his full moons. _

_-LM_

It was a couple of days after he had talked to Snape so the note made sense. But he had been expecting Lucius to tell Snape anything important and then Snape to tell him. He hadn't planned on the man wanting to meet with him himself.

Making up his mind, he rushed along the hallways until he found the Slytherin door and knocked. He wondered what the poor Slytherin that opened the door would think, Harry Potter knocking on their common room door asking for Draco Malfoy. But he didn't really care. Him, Draco, and Blaise had started spending more time together in the hallways and in classes. His roommates weren't thrilled, though most didn't comment, besides Ron. So, it shouldn't be too big of a surprise, _right? _

He didn't recognize the girl that opened the door, her eyes widened when she recognized him then she made a squealing sound that reminded him of Ginny and she turned and rushed away. He had to swallow a giggle at her actions because he could see others in the room and he didn't want them to think he was laughing at her.

A second later Blaise and Draco appeared, the blonde shoving Harry backwards until Blaise could close the door behind them.

"What's wrong?" His mate asked the second they no longer had an audience, well besides Blaise.

"Nothing," Harry said, shifting his feet a little. Maybe he should have thought about what to tell Draco before he rushed over here. He hadn't even told the blonde that he had spoken to Snape about well anything, let alone about Voldemort and Lucius. _Shit,_ he really should have told him, Draco was going to be mad about him keeping secrets, not that he meant to, it just slipped his mind.

"Potter." There was a growl hidden in his name and Harry looked up to see Draco's eyes shift to their cat like form and he swallowed. He must have really zoned out to get that kind of reaction out of the blonde. He looked at Blaise to see that even the other slytherin looked concerned.

"I kinda asked Snape to ask your dad about Voldemort, and here-" He shoved the note at Draco.

Draco read over the note before muttering and "_**Incendio.**_"

"Well let's go then," the blonde said, taking Harry's hand and starting down the hallway. Harry turned to look behind them to see Blaise shaking his head in silent laughter before the other slytherin started following them.

They made sure no one saw them as they raced across the yard and stunned the Willow. Blaise looked a little worried about walking close to the tree but he followed behind them anyways.

When they entered the room at the end of the tunnel, Snape and Lucius were already there. They had a small table and chair set up, and the room looked cleaner. Neither man looked surprised when the three entered the room, not even when Draco refused to let go of Harry's hand when he greeted his father. Harry watched Snape and saw the man looked mildly amused about it.

They had barely sat down before Lucius pulled out an envelope and handed it to Draco. The blonde gave his father and then Harry a confused look before he opened it. It took barely a second before Draco was out of his seat and was hugging his father and then Snape. Then just as fast he was lunging at Harry. The kiss was quick and surprising, Harry didn't even have time to register it before Draco was pulling away.

"Thank you," his mate said. Harry had no clue what he was being thanked for. He reached for the envelope but before reading it looked at Lucius to see if it was okay, the man nodded.

It was a copy of the Dissolution of marriage and a Marriage certificate.

"Holy-" He muttered and looked at the two men. Both looked happy and were smiling.

"Congratulations," he said, meaning it, he was happy for them. His comment must have caused Blaise's to lose patience as the other teen moved close enough to look at the paper over Harry's shoulder.

"Does that mean I call you Professor Malfoy in class?" The slytherin asked with an excited grin. Draco and Snape both groaned but Lucius chuckled.

"I will be keeping my last name for now. There are certain people who can not know of our marriage yet," the man said, looking at the three of making sure they understood.

"Yes Sir," they said together.

"Now for the other matter," Lucius said before dropping a destroyed diary, fang free thankfully, onto the table before them.

Harry jumped to his feet and backed away from it and the table the second his mind told him what it was. How could he have forgotten that he had given it back to the man after everything was done. He swallowed around air as he tried to will away images of the chamber, Ginny, Tom, and the basilisk.

"Harry?" He heard his name, knew it was Draco, but he couldn't see past the diary and the chamber he was somehow standing in again. Panic overwhelmed him and he needed to get away.

He startled when arms wrapped around him, pinning him in place, he started to struggle against them thinking that it was Tom, which didn't make sense the ghost or memory or whatever the hell it was had never touched him, and it sure as hell wouldn't have been gentle and purring?

Then the sweet scent of plums filled his nose and Harry relaxed. The chamber fell away and he was back in the shack, Snape, Blaise, and Lucius stood in front of him all three a little pale, not that Harry cared at the moment. All he cared about was his mate behind him. He turned in Draco's arms and buried his nose against the blonde's neck. The smell of plums deepening. He breathed it in and let the calm safe feeling wash over him.

He whimpered sometime later when Draco tried to separate them. He tightened his arms and pulled his mate back against him. When the blonde tried again, Harry growled at him and used all his strength to hold him in place.

There was a huff from his mate, but Harry didn't care. He just held tight.

"Harry," Draco said softly against his ear. "We have to finish talking to my fathers and then we can go to bed," Harry whined, "together," his mate added.

Harry pulled back enough to look at Draco wanting to make sure he meant it. What he didn't expect was Draco to gasp and grab his chin, holding Harry's head in place. Harry leaned into the touch liking the warm feeling that bloomed in his chest at the touch. Then Draco was kissing him.

It wasn't like the quick kiss before, hell it wasn't like any kiss before. It was powerful, passionate, and overwhelming. He didn't understand why he whimpered and loosened his arms around Draco, but when his mate pushed him backwards against the wall he didn't care.

Soon he couldn't just smell and feel Draco, he could _taste _him. The flavor of plums filled his mouth and Harry needed _more._ He moaned and pressed his tongue against Draco's lips, the blonde groaned and opened his mouth.

Somewhere else in the room, Harry heard their names. He growled and clutched at Draco's robes. His mind screaming that this was _his. _His mate must have agreed because he too growled, not even pulling away far enough to break their kissing. It sent an excited spark through Harry.

Then ice cold water spilled over the both of them and they broke apart. Harry turned to glare at the other's in the room. While Draco growled and went to lunge at his father, who was the only one with his wand out.

Harry moved to stop him but suddenly Snape was next to him holding his shoulder. He whimpered as Draco lunged at his father. The man held firm and when draco got about two inches away, he muttered a spell and Draco hit the ground...hard. Harry growled and tried to rush to his mate, but Snape wouldn't let him.

"Dragon," Lucius whispered, "I know, and I understand but I need you to think." Harry watched as Draco seemed to look at his father confused before he shook his head and looked back at Harry.

"Hell," the blonde muttered and the tension in the room dissipated.

It also seemed to help Harry's head clear. He blushed, "Sorry," he muttered without looking at anyone.

"Harry, do you understand what just happened?" Snape asked. _Yeah, _Harry thought, _I just snogged the shit out of my boyfriend in the same room as his fathers and best friend… again. _He nodded his head.

"I don't think you do," Lucius said. Harry looked up at him, the man was helping Draco to his feet. Draco looked at Harry and held his hand out, Harry felt Snape let him go and he rushed forward to take his mate's hand. Draco quickly transfigured one of the chairs into a love seat and pulled Harry down on his lap. He should have minded but something inside him needed to be close to Draco.

"What _did_ just happen?" Blaise asked once everyone one seated.

"Harry finally emerged," Draco said at the same time Snape and Lucius said, "They bonded."

"We what?" Harry and Draco said together.


	47. Chapter 47

Harry stared in disbelief at Lucius and Snap- Severus. "We what?" he asked again.

"Bonded." Lucius said, "It seems the last of the Headmaster's bindings have broken and your creature side has fully emerged and just now it started the bonding process with Draco. If I hadn't stopped you, you would have-" the man gave his husband a pleading look. At which Harry blushed because he figured out what Lucius hadn't wanted to say.

"Bonded." Bliase said with a giggle. Harry looked at him with a grin. He liked the other Slytherian he seemed good at breaking the tension in the room.

"So, we only started the bond?" Draco asked.

"I'm not sure." Severus said, "Sex, is the usual connecting point. But you two have been rather close while Harry was struggling to emerge due to the bindings, it is possible that the bonding link formed slowly over the time you were in the past and only strengthened as the last of the bonding fell away." The man closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "You smell bonded."

"Oh." Harry said looking at Draco. His mate looked at him and it felt like they were both searching each other's eyes to see how the other one was taking the news. Harry felt like a hole was forming in his chest as he thought about Draco might not want this. _What would he do if- _he shook his head, _no_, Draco would have said something before. After all they had known this was going to happen right?

"Harry," Draco said gently reaching over and taking a hold of Harry's chin. "I want this." Harry let out a relieved breath.

"Me too." He whispered. Draco smiled, and it was almost blinding. Harry leaned forward and kissed his mate. That urge to get lost in it again was there but this time Harry was still aware of the others in the room. So he pulled away, taking Draco's hand in his and not letting go as he looked at the table.

Diary still sat there.

He lost his smile as he looked at it, and then at Lucius. "You think that has something to do with why Voldemort didn't die?" The older blonde nodded.

"There were stories during the first war that the Dark Lord knew of a very dark spell that would grant him immortality. I never truly believed it. I thought it was a ploy, a way to get more people to follow him. But it seems I was mistaken." The man met Harry's eyes, "When I slipped this into Miss Weasley's bag in your second year, I knew not what it was. Only that it held dark magic and that it would hopefully get Arthur Weasley in trouble. When rumors started about the chamber I believed it a coincidence, until you handed it back to me."

"Do you know what it is?" Harry asked. Luciuc shook his head.

"We have a couple theories," Luciucs said looking at his husband, "But we are having a difficult time finding any information that might be helpful." The man sighed, "We are going to talk to Black after we leave here. The Black family has one of the most extensive family libraries, both light and dark magic. Hopefully we will be able to find something there."

Harry stared at the diary, _how could this book be the key to immortality? _

"What about the chamber?" He asked looking back at the two men.

Severus raised an eyebrow.

"It was important to him, Riddle I mean, he is the heir of Slytherian, he revelled in the idea that he was the only person who could get in there, is it possible he hid something in there?"

"Harry?" Draco whispered in his ear, "are you sure you want to go back in there?"

He turned to meet his concerned mate's eyes. "If it will help us stop him, yes." Draco's eyes narrowed before he smiled and gave Harry a quick kiss, "Okay, but I'm coming with."

"Me too." Blaise said.

"We can not go today," Severus said, pulling all of their attention to the man. "Dumbledore would be suspicious, I'm sure he is already wondering where you are," he looked at Harry, "and it might be better to search after we investigate Black's library, it might give us a better understanding of what we are looking for." The potion master pulled out his wand and pointed it at the book. It flew into the air and then disappeared with a pop.

"For now, Draco and Harry be careful how you act around each other, if the Headmaster figures out Harry's binding has broken and that not only has he emerged but bonded, I fear what he would do. Blaise please make sure they do." Harry turned enough to see the Slytherin grin at his head of house.

After that the two adults left. Leaving the three of them sitting there.

"Now what?" Blaise asked looking at Harry.

_**Charlie's Pov**_

It had taken him 4 days to work up the courage to owl his brothers. Now he sat in his small house in Romania waiting for them to arrive.

He was a ball of nerves as he paced his living room. _What if they weren't like him? _Or worse, _what if they acted like their mother? _He knew in his heart they weren't, but that fear of seeing that _look _on their faces weighed on him.

He was so caught up in his own mind he never heard the flames of the fireplace change or the footsteps of the twins as they entered. The identical teens looked at each and then at their brother who was clearly worried about something. As one they moved, grabbing his arms and pulling him towards the couch.

Charlie let out a startled squeak as he was manhandled and tossed on his lumpy couch.

"Fred, George, where-" There was a knock at the door before it opened and Bill walked in. Charlie watched as his older brother took the three of them in, him sprawled out on the couch blushing, and the twins standing in front grinning.

"Do I want to know?" Bill teased, slipping off his jacket and tossing it over the back of a wooden rocking chair.

"Charlie was-"

"Pacing-"

"Like-

"A madman."

Charlie shook his head at his little brothers, "I was not."

"Liar." They sang together.

"Charlie?" Bill asked moving around the twins to drop down next to him. "What's going on?"

"We have to wait for Percy." He said sitting up and back against the couch.

"You sure he's coming?" Fred asked.

"He hasn't returned any of our owls." George muttered with a frown.

Charlie felt his stomach drop.

He knew Percy was on the outs with his family. Had been for a while. Charlie was positive; it was mostly embarrassment at this point. His little brother had been so sure that Dumbledore and Harry had been lying about You-know-who being back, only for the man to attack Harry in the Department of Mysteries (DOM). He knew he had sent a couple letters to his brother trying to get him to come home and talk to him. But he hadn't known that the twins had tried as well.

"Mine either." He replied looking at Bill.

His brother sighed, "Or mine."

_Hell, _he thought, _did that mean Percy wasn't coming tonight?_ He had wanted to talk to all of his brothers, well almost all, Ron was a prat and Charlie had no doubts if he heard this upcoming conversation he would tell their mother. So he hadn't invited him.

"Does he need to be here?" Bill asked. Charlie looked at his older brother. His face most have shown what he couldn't say because Bill nodded and stood up.

"I'll be back."

Charlie reached out to stop him, he didn't want to force Percy. But before his hand could touch his brother the twins grabbed him and pulled him back to the couch, giggling as all three hit the back. He heard Bill snort from in front of the fireplace before he stepped into and disappeared in green flames.

"Guys," he groaned at the twins, who were still holding him, "I don't want to make him come if he doesn't want to."

"Well we do." Geroge said from his right.

"He may be a bit uptight-" Fred added.

"But we miss him." His two younger brothers finished together. Charlie sighed and stopped trying to sit up.

"Sooo-" Fred drew out the word, "any hints about what's on your mind?"

"An overdue conversation." He muttered, pulling his arms out of their hands. "Want a drink?" He asked, pushing to his feet. The twins looked at each other and back at him, Charlie tried not to fidget as they studied him.

"Do we need a drink?" They asked as one.

Charlie snorted, "Probably."

"Charlie?" George asked, "Are you okay?" Charlie could see the concern in his little brother's eyes. He nodded. Both teens let out a breath and sat back, "Fire whiskey," they muttered together.

He shook his head as he walked away. He always wondered how they did that. It wasn't just finishing each other's sentences, it was they way moved together and seemed to think as one person. He had found it annoying in their younger years, but as he grew older he realized just how amazing it was. He wondered if it was an inheritance thing, or just a twin thing.

He found the bottle of fire whiskey he opened the other night and poured each of them a glass, leaving the bottle and two empty glasses on the table. Before walking back over to the couch.

Charlie was about halfway through his glass when the fireplace blazed green and Bill and Percy stepped into his living room. Something unknoted inside him at seeing Percy, a relief he hadn't expected to feel at seeing his younger brother again.

"Hey." He said moving over to hug Percy. His brother stiffened in his arms but only for a second before he relaxed and hugged him back. "Hey." He heard Percy mutter into his shoulder before they were attacked on both sides by their younger brothers.

He tried not to laugh at Percy's squeak.

"Alright, let him breathe."A chuckling Bill said, pulling the matching pair off them.

Charlie gestured to the sitting area and his brothers all sat down. Before he joined them he refilled his glass and handed Bill and Percy each one. Percy gave it a strange look and looked up at Charlie questioningly.

"Trust me." He whispered and moved to sit in between the twins on the couch.

"What's going on Charlie?" Bill asked.

He opened his mouth but the words wouldn't form. It was like they froze in his throat and no matter how he urged them to move, they didn't. He closed his mouth, then his eyes. Maybe it would be easier if he wasn't looking at them.

"Charlie?" It was Percy, his little brother's voice was laced with worry.

"Did any of you get an inheritance?" He whispered, eyes tightly held shut.

He heard one of them gasp, but he couldn't place who it was. The silence in the room carried on for what felt like forever to him, and his already fast heartbeat raced faster as he started to panic. _He really was the only one, how was that possible? _

A warm hand wrapped around his wrist and it surprised him so much he opened his eyes. George looked at him, eyes- _Holy shit,_ Charlie's breath caught, George's eyes had shifted to a deep blue, they seemed to reflect all the light in the room.

"What are you?" He asked awed not just by the brilliant eyes but that he wasn't alone.

"Azeban." Fred said with a huge grin. Charlie tried to remember all the inheritance he studied when he came into his but that one didn't sound familiar.

Percy however must have known it because he groaned, "Makes sense," then he blushed when all of the others looked at him. Charlie watched as Percy swallowed, "Azeban are one of the 13 Descended families. They are tricksters. If I remember correctly, troublesome and mischievous but never dangerous. Not unless they, their families, or mates are threatened."

"Sounds about right." George said with a huge grin.

"I don't understand." Charlie muttered, the twins looked at him and recognized that fear in their eyes. "Not that," he said standing up and hugging the closest twin, Fred thankfully hugged him back.

"I'm kin, Dragon," He explained quickly, letting his brother go to hug George who smiled at him. "What I don't understand is why your Azeban and I'm Kin." He told them after he let George go.

"Me too." Bill said. They looked at him as he pulled up his sleeves to show brilliant red and orange scales.

"Wicked." Charlie, the twins, and Percy muttered together.

"Different lines," Percy said, moving to run his fingers over the scales on his brother's arm.

"What do you mean?" Charlie asked, as he moved closer to his brother so he could feel the smooth scales. He wondered if Bill was bothered as the twins joined him and Percy. But when he looked up he saw only amusement.

"If Dad's family carried one inheritneces and Mum's another, it makes sense that some of us would get one and the rest the other." Charlie looked at Percy, _which had Percy gotten?_

"Kin." His brother answered his unasked question, "at least I think. I didn't get any scales, my eyes have never changed but my mind works faster than normal and I have an almost perfect memory. From the research I've done, Dragon Kins are known for higher intelligence." He shrugged, "I was never really sure, but if you and Bill are both Kin and the twins are Azenab's, I fit the Kin descriptions more."

"Alright," Bill said, shaking them off his arms, "So the question is which is Dad and which is mum?"

"No," Charlie replied bitterly, "the question is why mum ordered me not to ever mention it to anyone." His brothers all looked at him in shock.


	48. Chapter 48

_**Remus POV**_

It was late in the evening when someone knocked on the front door of the house. Sirius who was half asleep on the couch next to him jumped up at the sudden sound then grumbled under his breath about annoying redheads. Remus chuckled and got up and opened the door, and Sirius' assumption was correct only instead of the twins like he had expected there was also Bill, Charlie, and oddly enough Percy, who was looking down at the ground. Probably not sure he was welcome.

"Come in." Remus moved out of their way as the brothers all made their way inside the house and headed straight for where Sirius was seated.

"What's up?" he asked as they all entered the room.

"We think we found what Albus is after," Bill said, dropping down on the couch next to Padfoot.

"Really" his mate asked, "what is it/"

"A book," Charlie said, then cleared his throat, "A grimoire actually, the Perevell family Grimoire."

It took him a second to understand why that was a big deal. Then he remembered just how protected the old family grimoires were. One that old, he swallowed, could have some powerful and nasty spells.

He dropped down into one of the chairs,"what kind of spells does it have?" he asked looking at Bill.

"Can't even imagine." he heard Sirius mutter.

Bill had to have heard it too because he snorted, "we didn't take too much of a look. Figured it was Harry's and wanted to see if he wanted to look through it first." Bill stopped and looked over at Charlie, Remus wasn't positive but he looked concerned and nervous. "It's not all we found."

"Bill." Charlie hissed, shaking his head at his brother.

Remus shared a look with Sirius, who just shrugged his shoulders.

"What is it?" he asked, looking at Charlie this time. Because it was clear whatever it was made Charlie more nervous than his brother.

"Dragon bones." The dragon handler whispered, glaring at his brother.

Remus was confused. Dragon bones were rare, sure, but that didn't explain the two older Weasley's reactions and from the frowns on their three younger brother's faces they didn't understand it either.

"Charlie?" Sirius said moving to stand next to the man. When he put his hand on the younger man's shoulder Charlie let out a breath.

"They," there was a choked off sound, "I don't know. There was magic around them, something I've never felt before." Remus actually heard the redhead swallow, "I was drawn to them."

"Drawn to them how?" Percy asked the doorway in which he still stood.

"Like I had to throw him across the room to get them away from him," Bill said moving closer to his brother.

"You think the headmaster knows about them?" Fred asked.

"No.'' Charlie replied shaking off both Sirius's and Bill's hands. "I think it's just one of many powerful objects in the manor that we can't let him find out about." Charlie looked at Remus, "It's the book. It has to be. The Potters are known to be descendants of the Peverell family. Think about the stories that go with that name?" He sounded a little excited, "defying Death, the Hollows, and that's just the more popular ones. There are stories about some of the most powerful spells we use today that came from them. If the headmaster believes that, if he even suspected the Potters might have ended up with the Grimoire-"

"He'd kill for it." the twins cut him off.

"Hell." Siuirs said before he summoned a bottle of fire whiskey and some glasses.

The room fell silent as Padfoot handed out drinks.

"We have to read it." he said after finishing his glass, the others all looked at him.

"We need to see what's in there, see what the Albus could be after," he looked at Charlie, "I'd also like to look at those bones. Dragon bones are powerful magical tools. I've heard of them being used to strengthen potions, guide the magic in wands, or used as containers for very powerful spells. But I've never heard of it drawing someone in like that. I want to see if it was the bones or some magic worked on them."

"I'll go with you." Bill said, "but Charlie can't be there."

"Bill -" Charlie tried to protest.

"No," Bill cut him off, "let us look at them. If we can't figure them out I'll take them to the goblins, but you can't be there. We don't know why they called to you, and not me, and I don't want to take the chance that if something happens to them you are affected." Charlie looked doubtful but nodded his head.

"How do we tell Harry?" George asked.

"I'm heading back to Hogwarts tomorrow. I'll pull him aside and tell him." he said, already plotting out how he was going to get his godson alone, well not alone, because Draco was always with him, but how he would get the two of them alone to tell them what the Weasleys had discovered.

_**Harry**_

Harry and Draco spent every night together in the Room of Requirements only sneaking away early in the mornings before anyone noticed they were gone. The bond between them grew a little stronger every day and now if Harry needed to find his mate all he had to do was think about it and a tugging sensation led him to Draco.

Blaise had thought it was the greatest thing ever and tried to get them to play hide and seek in the castle, Draco had turned and glared at his best friend until the Italian pouted and whispered, "nevermind."

That didn't stop the Slytherin from finding Harry throughout the day and asking which direction Draco was in. Harry just as amused as Blaise always pointed out the correct direction before returning to do whatever it was he was doing.

When he wasn't entertaining himself with Blaise or Draco, Harry was gathering everything he needed for the articles he wanted released. He was also writing back and forth with Amelia Bones about her investigation into the Headmaster. While she hadn't found much, she had found, with a few hints from Harry, that the Headmaster's handling of Hogwarts wasn't just unsafe but violated several laws set in place by the Founders. His systematic dismantling of the classes he demanded were dangerous or unneeded as well as cutting down the staff and student acceptances all went against the school's charter. While it might not be enough to have the man arrested it would be enough to get him out of Hogwarts.

Amelia had the paperwork ready, however she wasn't sure how to get around the Ministry. Neither she nor Harry wanted another Umbridge. Which left both of them researching what would happen if the headmaster was forcefully removed from the school.

Harry had found no evidence of a headmaster ever being removed, well except for Dumbledore in his second year but that was a suspension not a full removal. At the time Professor McGonagall had temporarily taken over. Amelia felt that with everything going on that wouldn't be possible. McGonagall didn't have the backing or support to fight for the position and with Voldemort back, the Ministry would most definitely try to take over, stating that it would be for the good of the students.

Finally he had asked Draco to talk to Severus about it, the blonde had come back in a cheery mood and told Harry that his fathers would handle it, all Amelia had to do was fill the paperwork. Harry had glared at his mate until Draco had pulled him into a kiss. After he sent off a letter to Amelia asking her to push through the paperwork and that the rest would be handled.

Sneaking back to the common room early the next morning he found Ron asleep on the couch. Clearly his ex-friend had been waiting up for him, but had fallen asleep. Harry was tempted to hit him with a hex Blaise had taught him, instead he walked up the stairs to their room.

Later that day he, Draco, and Blaise were headed for the library, Draco had something he wanted to look up and refused to tell Harry or Blaise what it was, when they bumped into Remus.

"Oh, good, I was looking for you," the werewolf said with a smile, before he led them off to a classroom and sealed with a wave of his wand.

"Bill and Charlie found what Albus is after." Harry's heart almost stopped beating.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Have you heard of the Peverell's?" Harry started to shake his head then stopped. Seamus had read a book back in first year. Harry remembered his friend talking excitedly about the three brothers that supposedly outsmarted death.

"They were brother's right?" he asked, looking at Remus.

His godfather nodded, "Bill and Charlie found their family grimoire inside Potter Manor."

"Bloody hell." Blaise muttered.

Harry wasn't sure what was so special about a book of spells. But from the worried looks on both Blaise and Draco's faces he figured it wasn't something he wanted the headmaster getting his hands on.

"What do we do?" he asked.

"Me and Bill want to look it over, along with a few other things found inside the house. For now Dumbledore can't get passed the wards so we don't have to worry about him getting the book yet. However, it might be a good idea to move it to the cottage. He doesn't know about it, so if somehow he finds a way past the Manor's wards he wont find." Harry nodded his head.

"That's a good idea, although I don't think he will be worried about the Manor for a while." he grinned when Remus raised an eyebrow, the man clearly knew Harry was up to something because he was smiling. "Amelia plans to have him removed, hopefully in the next day or two."

"He will be too busy fighting he and the governors to go to the Manor." Remus said chuckely, "clever."

"What else did they find?" Blaise asked and Harry turned to see his friends eyes bright as the slytherin was clearly excited about what else could be inside Potter Manor. Remus must have seen it too because he started talking about some books and artifices Bill had told them about.

They all sat and talked for a while before Remus had to excuse himself, after they headed to the library where Draco got lost in a stack of books, Blaise worked on homework, while Harry read through an inheritance book the twins had found in the cottage and sent him. It was the same book his father had lent him in the past and while he had already skimmed through it once, back then, he now was able to take him time and actually process some of the information he read.


End file.
